Fort Smith weather in January: Fort Smith, Arkansas: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Fort Smith in January has a normal high of 51°F and a normal low of 30°F, a daily mean of 40°F, rising from 51°F on the 1st to 53°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal January, 2.91 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 11°C and low of −1°C, 74 mm of precipitation and 4 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationFort Smith Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00013964
- Location35.33°N 94.36°W
- Elevation449 ft (137 m)
- From the center1 miles
- Population90,507
- Jan 51° 30°
- Feb 57° 33°
- Mar 66° 42°
- Apr 75° 50°
- May 81° 60°
- Jun 89° 68°
- Jul 94° 72°
- Aug 94° 71°
- Sep 87° 63°
- Oct 76° 51°
- Nov 63° 40°
- Dec 53° 32°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Fort Smith in January?
The normal high is 51°F and the normal low 30°F, for a daily mean of 40.4°F. January is 2.4°F cooler than December and 4.6°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Fort Smith and the 11th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high rises 2°F, from 51°F on January 1 to 53°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 37°F and 44°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 25%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 51°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% |
| January 8 | 51°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% |
| January 15 | 51°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% |
| January 22 | 52°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% |
| January 31 | 53°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 12)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 51°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 2 | 51°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 51°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 4 | 51°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 5 | 50°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 6 | 50°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 7 | 50°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 8 | 51°F | 30°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 9 | 51°F | 29°F | 25% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 10 | 51°F | 29°F | 25% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 11 | 51°F | 29°F | 25% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 12 | 51°F | 29°F | 25% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 13 | 51°F | 29°F | 25% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 14 | 51°F | 29°F | 25% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 15 | 51°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 16 | 51°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 17 | 51°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 18 | 51°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 19 | 51°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 20 | 51°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 21 | 52°F | 29°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 52°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 52°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 52°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 52°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 26 | 52°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 53°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 53°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 53°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 30 | 53°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 31 | 53°F | 30°F | 24% | 15% | 10 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 51°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 30°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 2.91 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 20
- Daylight
- 9 h 50 min to 10 h 20 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013964; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Fort Smith in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 25% on average, highest around January 1 (25%). In all, 2.91 in falls on 8 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Fort Smith, 20 nights fall to freezing, 2 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 1.4 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013964.
How humid and windy is Fort Smith in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 51°F with 46% relative humidity and a dew point of 31°F; at 6 a.m. it is 35°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 7.4 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 35°F | 29°F | 79% | 6.1 mph | 54% |
| 9 a.m. | 38°F | 30°F | 74% | 7.4 mph | 51% |
| noon | 46°F | 31°F | 55% | 9.1 mph | 53% |
| 3 p.m. | 51°F | 31°F | 46% | 10.4 mph | 52% |
| 6 p.m. | 47°F | 31°F | 53% | 7.8 mph | 56% |
| 9 p.m. | 41°F | 31°F | 66% | 6.1 mph | 57% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013964. 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 Fort Smith?
The warmest January temperature on Fort Smith's official record (since 1882) is 81°F, on January 19, 1952; the coldest is −11°F, on January 12, 1918. The wettest January brought 11.33 in (1949); the snowiest, 13.6 inches (1918).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 40.4°F: 2021 41.9°F (+1.5), 2022 38.8°F (−1.6), 2023 45.3°F (+4.9), 2024 36.7°F (−3.7), 2025 36.6°F (−3.8), 2026 39.4°F (−1.0). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41.9°F | +1.5°F | 2.27 in |
| 2022 | 38.8°F | −1.6°F | 1.71 in |
| 2023 | 45.3°F | +4.9°F | 1.93 in |
| 2024 | 36.7°F | −3.7°F | 3.92 in |
| 2025 | 36.6°F | −3.8°F | 2.93 in |
| 2026 | 39.4°F | −1.0°F | 1.62 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record FSMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013964. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Fort Smith compare across Arkansas?
Across the 86 places PlainClimate covers in Arkansas, January normal highs run from 42°F in Deer to 57°F in Crossett; Fort Smith's is 51°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.