La Crosse weather in January: La Crosse, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
La Crosse in January has a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 11°F, a daily mean of 19°F, holding near 27°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 1.25 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −3°C and low of −12°C, 32 mm of precipitation and 30 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationLa Crosse Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014920
- Location43.88°N 91.25°W
- Elevation652 ft (199 m)
- Population51,049
- Jan 27° 11°
- Feb 33° 14°
- Mar 46° 26°
- Apr 60° 38°
- May 72° 50°
- Jun 82° 60°
- Jul 85° 65°
- Aug 83° 62°
- Sep 76° 54°
- Oct 62° 42°
- Nov 46° 30°
- Dec 33° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is La Crosse in January?
The normal high is 27°F and the normal low 11°F, for a daily mean of 18.9°F. January is 6.2°F cooler than December and 4.4°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in La Crosse and the 11th wettest, and the snowiest. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 5.7°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 13°F and 25°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 28°F | 13°F | 32% | 13% |
| January 8 | 27°F | 11°F | 33% | 13% |
| January 15 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% |
| January 22 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% |
| January 31 | 28°F | 10°F | 32% | 12% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 21)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 28°F | 13°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 2 | 28°F | 13°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 3 | 28°F | 12°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 4 | 28°F | 12°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 5 | 28°F | 12°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 6 | 28°F | 12°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 7 | 28°F | 11°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 8 | 27°F | 11°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 9 | 27°F | 11°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 27°F | 11°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 27°F | 11°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 27°F | 11°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 13 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 14 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 15 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 16 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 17 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 18 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 19 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 20 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 21 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 23 | 27°F | 10°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 24 | 27°F | 10°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 25 | 27°F | 10°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 26 | 27°F | 10°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 28°F | 10°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 28 | 28°F | 10°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 29 | 28°F | 10°F | 32% | 13% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 30 | 28°F | 10°F | 32% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 28°F | 10°F | 32% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 27°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 11°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 1.25 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 11.8 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h to 9 h 50 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014920; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in La Crosse in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around January 15 (33%). In all, 1.25 in falls on 10 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in La Crosse, 30 nights fall to freezing, 20 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 11.8 inches.
Snow falls on 9 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 24 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014920.
How humid and windy is La Crosse in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 25°F with 61% relative humidity and a dew point of 14°F; at 6 a.m. it is 16°F with 78% humidity. The wind averages 8.3 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. | 16°F | 10°F | 78% | 7.6 mph | 43% |
| 9 a.m. | 17°F | 11°F | 77% | 8.4 mph | 42% |
| noon | 22°F | 13°F | 66% | 9.3 mph | 46% |
| 3 p.m. | 25°F | 14°F | 61% | 9.9 mph | 47% |
| 6 p.m. | 22°F | 13°F | 67% | 8.6 mph | 47% |
| 9 p.m. | 20°F | 13°F | 73% | 7.8 mph | 50% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014920. 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 La Crosse?
The warmest January temperature on La Crosse's official record (since 1872) is 58°F, on January 30, 2025; the coldest is −43°F, on January 18, 1873. The wettest January brought 3.44 in (1886); the snowiest, 39.6 inches (1929).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 18.9°F: 2021 23.4°F (+4.5), 2022 12.8°F (−6.1), 2023 24.4°F (+5.5), 2024 23.7°F (+4.8), 2025 18.6°F (−0.3), 2026 14.7°F (−4.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23.4°F | +4.5°F | 0.89 in |
| 2022 | 12.8°F | −6.1°F | 0.61 in |
| 2023 | 24.4°F | +5.5°F | 2.17 in |
| 2024 | 23.7°F | +4.8°F | 1.16 in |
| 2025 | 18.6°F | −0.3°F | 0.03 in |
| 2026 | 14.7°F | −4.2°F | 1.64 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record LSEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014920. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in La Crosse compare across Wisconsin?
Across the 165 places PlainClimate covers in Wisconsin, January normal highs run from 19°F in Cumberland to 31°F in Kenosha; La Crosse's is 27°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.