Buffalo weather in January: Buffalo, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Buffalo in January has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 19°F, a daily mean of 26°F, falling from 34°F on the 1st to 31°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 19 days in a normal January, 3.35 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −7°C, 85 mm of precipitation and 68 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationBuffalo Niagara International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014733
- Location42.95°N 78.74°W
- Elevation693 ft (211 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population276,617
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 33° 20°
- Mar 42° 26°
- Apr 55° 37°
- May 67° 48°
- Jun 76° 58°
- Jul 80° 63°
- Aug 79° 62°
- Sep 72° 55°
- Oct 60° 44°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Buffalo in January?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 19°F, for a daily mean of 25.5°F. January is 5.9°F cooler than December and 0.9°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Buffalo and the 8th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 3°F, from 34°F on January 1 to 31°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 21°F and 30°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 62%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 34°F | 22°F | 61% | 32% |
| January 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 62% | 31% |
| January 15 | 32°F | 19°F | 61% | 29% |
| January 22 | 32°F | 18°F | 60% | 28% |
| January 31 | 31°F | 18°F | 58% | 26% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 29)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 34°F | 22°F | 61% | 32% | 9 h |
| January 2 | 34°F | 21°F | 61% | 32% | 9 h |
| January 3 | 33°F | 21°F | 61% | 32% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 33°F | 21°F | 61% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 33°F | 21°F | 62% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 33°F | 21°F | 62% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 33°F | 20°F | 62% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 62% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 33°F | 20°F | 62% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 33°F | 20°F | 62% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 32°F | 20°F | 62% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 32°F | 19°F | 62% | 30% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 32°F | 19°F | 62% | 30% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 32°F | 19°F | 62% | 29% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 32°F | 19°F | 61% | 29% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 32°F | 19°F | 61% | 29% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 17 | 32°F | 19°F | 61% | 29% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 18 | 32°F | 18°F | 61% | 29% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 19 | 32°F | 18°F | 61% | 28% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 32°F | 18°F | 61% | 28% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 32°F | 18°F | 60% | 28% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 32°F | 18°F | 60% | 28% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 23 | 31°F | 18°F | 60% | 27% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 24 | 31°F | 18°F | 60% | 27% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 31°F | 18°F | 60% | 27% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 31°F | 18°F | 59% | 27% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 31°F | 18°F | 59% | 27% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 28 | 31°F | 18°F | 59% | 27% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 29 | 31°F | 18°F | 59% | 27% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 31°F | 18°F | 58% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 31°F | 18°F | 58% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 32°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 19°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.35 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 190.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 26.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 9 h to 9 h 50 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 51%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014733; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Buffalo in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 61% on average, highest around January 10 (62%). In all, 3.35 in falls on 19 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Buffalo, 27 nights fall to freezing, 16 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 26.7 inches.
Snow falls on 16 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 21 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014733.
How humid and windy is Buffalo in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 28°F with 69% relative humidity and a dew point of 19°F; at 6 a.m. it is 23°F with 77% humidity. The wind averages 11.8 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 23°F | 17°F | 77% | 10.8 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 24°F | 17°F | 77% | 11.4 mph | – |
| noon | 27°F | 18°F | 70% | 13.3 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 28°F | 19°F | 69% | 13.4 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 19°F | 72% | 12.0 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 25°F | 19°F | 75% | 11.2 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014733. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for January in Buffalo?
The warmest January temperature on Buffalo's official record (since 1873) is 72°F, on January 25, 1950; the coldest is −16°F, on January 17, 1982. The wettest January brought 6.88 in (1982); the snowiest, 68.3 inches (1977).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.5°F: 2021 29.4°F (+3.9), 2022 21.9°F (−3.6), 2023 32.8°F (+7.3), 2024 29.4°F (+3.9), 2025 24.0°F (−1.5), 2026 22.4°F (−3.1). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29.4°F | +3.9°F | 1.85 in |
| 2022 | 21.9°F | −3.6°F | 3.59 in |
| 2023 | 32.8°F | +7.3°F | 3.89 in |
| 2024 | 29.4°F | +3.9°F | 5.67 in |
| 2025 | 24.0°F | −1.5°F | 1.72 in |
| 2026 | 22.4°F | −3.1°F | 3.24 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BUFthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014733. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Buffalo compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, January normal highs run from 23°F in Cooperstown to 42°F in Wantagh; Buffalo's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.