Lincoln weather in January: Lincoln, Nebraska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Lincoln in January has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 14°F, a daily mean of 25°F, holding near 36°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal January, 0.73 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −10°C, 19 mm of precipitation and 17 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationLincoln Airport
- Station IDUSW00014939
- Location40.85°N 96.75°W
- Elevation1,190 ft (363 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population300,619
- Jan 36° 14°
- Feb 41° 18°
- Mar 54° 29°
- Apr 65° 39°
- May 75° 51°
- Jun 85° 62°
- Jul 89° 67°
- Aug 87° 64°
- Sep 80° 54°
- Oct 67° 41°
- Nov 52° 28°
- Dec 39° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lincoln in January?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 14°F, for a daily mean of 25.0°F. January is 3.8°F cooler than December and 4.5°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Lincoln and the 12th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 36°F on January 1 to 37°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 20°F and 30°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 20%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% |
| January 8 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% |
| January 15 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% |
| January 22 | 36°F | 14°F | 20% | 8% |
| January 31 | 37°F | 15°F | 20% | 9% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 17)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 2 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 3 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 4 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 5 | 35°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 6 | 35°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 7 | 35°F | 15°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 8 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 9 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 10 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 11 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 12 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 13 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 14 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 15 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 16 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 17 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 18 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 19 | 35°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 20 | 36°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 21 | 36°F | 14°F | 19% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 22 | 36°F | 14°F | 20% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 23 | 36°F | 14°F | 20% | 8% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 24 | 36°F | 14°F | 20% | 8% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 25 | 36°F | 14°F | 20% | 8% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 26 | 36°F | 14°F | 20% | 8% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 27 | 36°F | 15°F | 20% | 8% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 28 | 36°F | 15°F | 20% | 8% | 10 h |
| January 29 | 36°F | 15°F | 20% | 8% | 10 h |
| January 30 | 37°F | 15°F | 20% | 9% | 10 h |
| January 31 | 37°F | 15°F | 20% | 9% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 36°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 14°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 0.73 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 6.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 10 hJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014939; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Lincoln in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 19% on average, highest around January 31 (20%). In all, 0.73 in falls on 6 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Lincoln, 30 nights fall to freezing, 13 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 6.5 inches.
Snow falls on 5 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 13 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014939.
How humid and windy is Lincoln in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 35°F with 56% relative humidity and a dew point of 21°F; at 6 a.m. it is 20°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 9.1 mph, most often from the 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. | 20°F | 15°F | 80% | 7.5 mph | 54% |
| 9 a.m. | 23°F | 17°F | 78% | 8.9 mph | – |
| noon | 31°F | 20°F | 63% | 11.8 mph | 52% |
| 3 p.m. | 35°F | 21°F | 56% | 12.0 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 30°F | 20°F | 65% | 8.9 mph | 55% |
| 9 p.m. | 26°F | 18°F | 74% | 7.7 mph | 64% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014939. 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 Lincoln?
The warmest January temperature on Lincoln's official record (since 1887) is 73°F, on January 10, 1990; the coldest is −33°F, on January 12, 1974. The wettest January brought 3.15 in (1949); the snowiest, 23.0 inches (1915).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.0°F: 2021 28.8°F (+3.8), 2022 24.9°F (−0.1), 2023 28.6°F (+3.6), 2024 21.7°F (−3.3), 2025 24.7°F (−0.3), 2026 24.4°F (−0.6). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 28.8°F | +3.8°F | 1.53 in |
| 2022 | 24.9°F | −0.1°F | 0.28 in |
| 2023 | 28.6°F | +3.6°F | 1.32 in |
| 2024 | 21.7°F | −3.3°F | 0.95 in |
| 2025 | 24.7°F | −0.3°F | 0.10 in |
| 2026 | 24.4°F | −0.6°F | 0.95 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record LNKthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014939. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Lincoln compare across Nebraska?
Across the 137 places PlainClimate covers in Nebraska, January normal highs run from 30°F in Fort Calhoun to 43°F in Haigler; Lincoln's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.