Helena weather in January: Helena, Montana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Helena in January has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 14°F, a daily mean of 23°F, rising from 31°F on the 1st to 34°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal January, 0.39 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −10°C, 10 mm of precipitation and 17 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationHelena Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00024144
- Location46.61°N 111.96°W
- Elevation3,828 ft (1,167 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population34,729
- Jan 32° 14°
- Feb 37° 17°
- Mar 48° 25°
- Apr 57° 32°
- May 66° 42°
- Jun 75° 49°
- Jul 86° 55°
- Aug 85° 53°
- Sep 73° 45°
- Oct 58° 34°
- Nov 43° 23°
- Dec 33° 14°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Helena in January?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 14°F, for a daily mean of 23.0°F. January is 0.4°F cooler than December and 4.2°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Helena and the 12th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 3°F, from 31°F on January 1 to 34°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 5.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 17°F and 29°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 22%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 31°F | 12°F | 22% | 5% |
| January 8 | 32°F | 13°F | 22% | 5% |
| January 15 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 4% |
| January 22 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% |
| January 31 | 34°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 31°F | 12°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 2 | 31°F | 12°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 3 | 31°F | 12°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 4 | 31°F | 12°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 5 | 31°F | 12°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 6 | 31°F | 12°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 7 | 31°F | 13°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 8 | 32°F | 13°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 9 | 32°F | 13°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 10 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 11 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 12 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 13 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 14 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 15 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h |
| January 16 | 32°F | 13°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h |
| January 17 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h |
| January 18 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h |
| January 19 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h |
| January 20 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 21 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 33°F | 14°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 25 | 33°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 26 | 34°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 34°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 34°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 29 | 34°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 30 | 34°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 31 | 34°F | 15°F | 21% | 4% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 32°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 14°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 0.39 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 6.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 8 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024144; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Helena in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 21% on average, highest around January 1 (22%). In all, 0.39 in falls on 7 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Helena, 29 nights fall to freezing, 13 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 6.6 inches.
Snow falls on 6 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 18 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024144.
How humid and windy is Helena in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 33°F with 53% relative humidity and a dew point of 18°F; at 6 a.m. it is 22°F with 74% humidity. The wind averages 5.9 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. | 22°F | 15°F | 74% | 5.2 mph | 51% |
| 9 a.m. | 22°F | 15°F | 73% | 4.9 mph | 50% |
| noon | 29°F | 17°F | 60% | 6.4 mph | 51% |
| 3 p.m. | 33°F | 18°F | 53% | 7.7 mph | 51% |
| 6 p.m. | 29°F | 17°F | 62% | 6.5 mph | 54% |
| 9 p.m. | 26°F | 17°F | 68% | 5.5 mph | 54% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024144. 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 Helena?
The warmest January temperature on Helena's official record (since 1880) is 63°F, on January 7, 1902; the coldest is −42°F, on January 31, 1893. The wettest January brought 3.75 in (1884); the snowiest, 35.6 inches (1969).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 23.0°F: 2021 30.5°F (+7.5), 2022 25.4°F (+2.4), 2023 24.8°F (+1.8), 2024 18.1°F (−4.9), 2025 20.1°F (−2.9), 2026 32.1°F (+9.1). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30.5°F | +7.5°F | 0.28 in |
| 2022 | 25.4°F | +2.4°F | 0.55 in |
| 2023 | 24.8°F | +1.8°F | 0.40 in |
| 2024 | 18.1°F | −4.9°F | 0.80 in |
| 2025 | 20.1°F | −2.9°F | 0.73 in |
| 2026 | 32.1°F | +9.1°F | 0.10 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record HLNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024144. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Helena compare across Montana?
Across the 141 places PlainClimate covers in Montana, January normal highs run from 20°F in Westby to 40°F in Nye; Helena's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.