Columbia weather in January: Columbia, South Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Columbia in January has a normal high of 57°F and a normal low of 35°F, a daily mean of 46°F, holding near 57°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 3.49 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 14°C and low of 1°C, 89 mm of precipitation and 2 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationColumbia Metropolitan Airport
- Station IDUSW00013883
- Location33.95°N 81.12°W
- Elevation231 ft (70 m)
- Population144,788
- Jan 57° 35°
- Feb 61° 37°
- Mar 68° 44°
- Apr 77° 52°
- May 84° 61°
- Jun 90° 69°
- Jul 93° 72°
- Aug 91° 71°
- Sep 86° 65°
- Oct 77° 53°
- Nov 66° 42°
- Dec 59° 37°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Columbia in January?
The normal high is 57°F and the normal low 35°F, for a daily mean of 45.7°F. January is 2.0°F cooler than December and 3.4°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Columbia and the 7th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 57°F on January 1 to 58°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 3.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 42°F and 49°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 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% |
| January 8 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% |
| January 15 | 57°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% |
| January 22 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% |
| January 31 | 58°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 9)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 2 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 3 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 4 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 5 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 6 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 7 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 8 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 9 | 56°F | 34°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 10 | 56°F | 34°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 11 | 56°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 12 | 56°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 13 | 56°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 14 | 57°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 15 | 57°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 16 | 57°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 17 | 57°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 18 | 57°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 19 | 57°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 20 | 57°F | 35°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 21 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 23 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 24 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 25 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 26 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 57°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 58°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 29 | 58°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 30 | 58°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 31 | 58°F | 35°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 57°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 35°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.49 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 14
- Daylight
- 10 h to 10 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 76%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013883; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Columbia in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around January 1 (32%). In all, 3.49 in falls on 10 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Columbia, 14 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.6 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013883.
How humid and windy is Columbia in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 56°F with 39% relative humidity and a dew point of 32°F; at 6 a.m. it is 39°F with 76% humidity. The wind averages 6.6 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 39°F | 32°F | 76% | 5.1 mph | 52% |
| 9 a.m. | 42°F | 33°F | 71% | 6.2 mph | 40% |
| noon | 52°F | 33°F | 47% | 9.0 mph | 41% |
| 3 p.m. | 56°F | 32°F | 39% | 9.9 mph | 39% |
| 6 p.m. | 53°F | 33°F | 46% | 6.8 mph | 40% |
| 9 p.m. | 46°F | 34°F | 63% | 5.4 mph | 50% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013883. 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 Columbia?
The warmest January temperature on Columbia's official record (since 1887) is 84°F, on January 24, 1974; the coldest is −1°F, on January 21, 1985. The wettest January brought 10.03 in (1925); the snowiest, 6.2 inches (1936).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 45.7°F: 2021 45.6°F (−0.1), 2022 44.0°F (−1.7), 2023 51.3°F (+5.6), 2024 46.5°F (+0.8), 2025 40.9°F (−4.8), 2026 44.8°F (−0.9). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45.6°F | −0.1°F | 5.32 in |
| 2022 | 44.0°F | −1.7°F | 4.04 in |
| 2023 | 51.3°F | +5.6°F | 5.79 in |
| 2024 | 46.5°F | +0.8°F | 2.65 in |
| 2025 | 40.9°F | −4.8°F | 1.78 in |
| 2026 | 44.8°F | −0.9°F | 1.95 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CAEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013883. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Columbia compare across South Carolina?
Across the 73 places PlainClimate covers in South Carolina, January normal highs run from 45°F in Caesars Head to 62°F in Hampton; Columbia's is 57°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Columbia in December59°F by day, 37°F at night
- Columbia in February61°F by day, 37°F at night
- Columbia through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Carolina in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Hampton: South Carolina's warmest Januarynormal high 62°F