Fairbanks weather in January: Fairbanks, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Fairbanks in January has a normal high of 1°F and a normal low of −17°F, a daily mean of −8°F, rising from 1°F on the 1st to 4°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal January, 0.61 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −17°C and low of −27°C, 15 mm of precipitation and 26 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationFairbanks International Airport
- Station IDUSW00026411
- Location64.80°N 147.88°W
- Elevation432 ft (132 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population31,732
- Jan 1° -17°
- Feb 12° -11°
- Mar 25° -3°
- Apr 46° 22°
- May 62° 39°
- Jun 72° 50°
- Jul 73° 53°
- Aug 66° 48°
- Sep 55° 36°
- Oct 34° 18°
- Nov 12° -4°
- Dec 4° -13°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Fairbanks in January?
The normal high is 1°F and the normal low −17°F, for a daily mean of -8.3°F. January is 4.0°F cooler than December and 8.5°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Fairbanks and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 3°F, from 1°F on January 1 to 4°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 8.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between -17°F and 0°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 28%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 1°F | −17°F | 28% | 6% |
| January 8 | −1°F | −18°F | 28% | 7% |
| January 15 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% |
| January 22 | 1°F | −17°F | 27% | 6% |
| January 31 | 4°F | −14°F | 26% | 6% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 10)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 1°F | −17°F | 28% | 6% | 4 h |
| January 2 | 0°F | −17°F | 28% | 6% | 4 h |
| January 3 | 0°F | −17°F | 28% | 6% | 4 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 0°F | −18°F | 28% | 7% | 4 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 0°F | −18°F | 28% | 7% | 4 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 0°F | −18°F | 28% | 7% | 4 h 20 min |
| January 7 | 0°F | −18°F | 28% | 7% | 4 h 20 min |
| January 8 | −1°F | −18°F | 28% | 7% | 4 h 30 min |
| January 9 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 4 h 30 min |
| January 10 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 4 h 40 min |
| January 11 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 4 h 40 min |
| January 12 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 4 h 50 min |
| January 13 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 4 h 50 min |
| January 14 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 5 h |
| January 15 | −1°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 5 h |
| January 16 | 0°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 5 h 10 min |
| January 17 | 0°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 5 h 10 min |
| January 18 | 0°F | −18°F | 27% | 7% | 5 h 20 min |
| January 19 | 0°F | −18°F | 27% | 6% | 5 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 0°F | −17°F | 27% | 6% | 5 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 1°F | −17°F | 27% | 6% | 5 h 40 min |
| January 22 | 1°F | −17°F | 27% | 6% | 5 h 40 min |
| January 23 | 1°F | −17°F | 27% | 6% | 5 h 50 min |
| January 24 | 1°F | −16°F | 27% | 6% | 6 h |
| January 25 | 2°F | −16°F | 27% | 6% | 6 h |
| January 26 | 2°F | −16°F | 27% | 6% | 6 h 10 min |
| January 27 | 3°F | −16°F | 27% | 6% | 6 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 3°F | −15°F | 27% | 6% | 6 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 3°F | −15°F | 26% | 6% | 6 h 30 min |
| January 30 | 4°F | −15°F | 26% | 6% | 6 h 40 min |
| January 31 | 4°F | −14°F | 26% | 6% | 6 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 1°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- −17°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 0.61 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 10.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 4 h to 6 h 40 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 75%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026411; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Fairbanks in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 27% on average, highest around January 1 (28%). In all, 0.61 in falls on 9 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Fairbanks, 31 nights fall to freezing, 30 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 10.2 inches.
Snow falls on 10 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 31 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026411.
How humid and windy is Fairbanks in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is −3°F with 87% relative humidity and a dew point of −6°F; at 6 a.m. it is −9°F with 100% humidity. The wind averages 1.9 mph, most often from the north-northeast in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | −9°F | −9°F | 100% | 1.7 mph | 32% |
| 9 a.m. | −10°F | −10°F | 100% | 1.8 mph | 23% |
| noon | −6°F | −8°F | 93% | 1.8 mph | 25% |
| 3 p.m. | −3°F | −6°F | 87% | 2.1 mph | 25% |
| 6 p.m. | −5°F | −7°F | 93% | 2.2 mph | 31% |
| 9 p.m. | −8°F | −8°F | 100% | 2.2 mph | 32% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026411. 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 Fairbanks?
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of -8.3°F: 2021 -1.4°F (+6.9), 2022 -7.6°F (+0.7), 2023 -0.1°F (+8.2), 2024 -12.7°F (−4.4), 2025 6.3°F (+14.6), 2026 -14.3°F (−6.0). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | -1.4°F | +6.9°F | 0.04 in |
| 2022 | -7.6°F | +0.7°F | 0.20 in |
| 2023 | -0.1°F | +8.2°F | 0.65 in |
| 2024 | -12.7°F | −4.4°F | 0.49 in |
| 2025 | 6.3°F | +14.6°F | 0.59 in |
| 2026 | -14.3°F | −6.0°F | 0.67 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record FAIthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026411. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Fairbanks compare across Alaska?
Across the 85 places PlainClimate covers in Alaska, January normal highs run from −11°F in Chicken to 41°F in Metlakatla; Fairbanks's is 1°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.