Detroit weather in January: Detroit, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Detroit in January has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 19°F, a daily mean of 26°F, holding near 32°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal January, 2.23 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −7°C, 57 mm of precipitation and 36 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationDetroit Metro Airport
- Station IDUSW00094847
- Location42.23°N 83.33°W
- Elevation631 ft (192 m)
- From the center16 miles
- Population645,705
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 35° 21°
- Mar 46° 29°
- Apr 59° 39°
- May 70° 50°
- Jun 80° 60°
- Jul 84° 64°
- Aug 81° 63°
- Sep 74° 56°
- Oct 62° 44°
- Nov 49° 34°
- Dec 37° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Detroit in January?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 19°F, for a daily mean of 25.8°F. January is 5.5°F cooler than December and 2.2°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Detroit and the 11th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 2°F, from 34°F on January 1 to 32°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 5.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 21°F and 31°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 45%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 34°F | 21°F | 45% | 19% |
| January 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 45% | 19% |
| January 15 | 32°F | 19°F | 43% | 19% |
| January 22 | 32°F | 18°F | 41% | 18% |
| January 31 | 32°F | 18°F | 39% | 17% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 24)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 34°F | 21°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 2 | 33°F | 21°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 3 | 33°F | 21°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 33°F | 21°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 33°F | 21°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 33°F | 20°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 33°F | 20°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 45% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 9 | 33°F | 20°F | 44% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 10 | 32°F | 20°F | 44% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 11 | 32°F | 20°F | 44% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 12 | 32°F | 19°F | 44% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 32°F | 19°F | 44% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 32°F | 19°F | 43% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 32°F | 19°F | 43% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 32°F | 19°F | 43% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 17 | 32°F | 19°F | 42% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 18 | 32°F | 19°F | 42% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 19 | 32°F | 19°F | 42% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 32°F | 18°F | 42% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 32°F | 18°F | 41% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 22 | 32°F | 18°F | 41% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 23 | 32°F | 18°F | 41% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 24 | 32°F | 18°F | 41% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 32°F | 18°F | 41% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 32°F | 18°F | 40% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 32°F | 18°F | 40% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 28 | 32°F | 18°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 29 | 32°F | 18°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 32°F | 18°F | 39% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 32°F | 18°F | 39% | 17% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 32°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 19°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 2.23 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 14.0 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 10 hJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 59%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094847; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Detroit in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 42% on average, highest around January 3 (45%). In all, 2.23 in falls on 13 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Detroit, 27 nights fall to freezing, 16 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 14.0 inches.
Snow falls on 11 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 17 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094847.
How humid and windy is Detroit in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 30°F with 63% relative humidity and a dew point of 19°F; at 6 a.m. it is 23°F with 78% humidity. The wind averages 10.3 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 | 78% | 8.9 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 23°F | 18°F | 78% | 9.6 mph | – |
| noon | 28°F | 19°F | 68% | 11.5 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 30°F | 19°F | 63% | 12.2 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 29°F | 19°F | 67% | 11.0 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 27°F | 19°F | 72% | 10.3 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094847. 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 Detroit?
The warmest January temperature on Detroit's official record (since 1874) is 67°F, on January 25, 1950; the coldest is −21°F, on January 21, 1984. The wettest January brought 5.25 in (2024); the snowiest, 39.1 inches (2014).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.8°F: 2021 29.3°F (+3.5), 2022 20.3°F (−5.5), 2023 33.5°F (+7.7), 2024 27.5°F (+1.7), 2025 23.1°F (−2.8), 2026 20.6°F (−5.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29.3°F | +3.5°F | 1.03 in |
| 2022 | 20.3°F | −5.5°F | 0.52 in |
| 2023 | 33.5°F | +7.7°F | 3.05 in |
| 2024 | 27.5°F | +1.7°F | 5.25 in |
| 2025 | 23.1°F | −2.8°F | 1.26 in |
| 2026 | 20.6°F | −5.2°F | 1.43 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DTWthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094847. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Detroit compare across Michigan?
Across the 140 places PlainClimate covers in Michigan, January normal highs run from 20°F in Ironwood to 34°F in South Haven; Detroit's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.