Madison weather in January: Madison, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Madison in January has a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 12°F, a daily mean of 19°F, holding near 27°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal January, 1.47 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −3°C and low of −11°C, 37 mm of precipitation and 35 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationMadison Dane County Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014837
- Location43.14°N 89.35°W
- Elevation866 ft (264 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population285,300
- Jan 27° 12°
- Feb 31° 15°
- Mar 44° 25°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 69° 47°
- Jun 79° 57°
- Jul 82° 62°
- Aug 80° 60°
- Sep 73° 51°
- Oct 60° 40°
- Nov 45° 29°
- Dec 32° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Madison in January?
The normal high is 27°F and the normal low 12°F, for a daily mean of 19.4°F. January is 5.9°F cooler than December and 3.6°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Madison and the 12th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 1°F, from 28°F on January 1 to 27°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 5.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 14°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 28°F | 14°F | 33% | 13% |
| January 8 | 27°F | 13°F | 33% | 14% |
| January 15 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% |
| January 22 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% |
| January 31 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 15% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 22)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 28°F | 14°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 2 | 28°F | 14°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 3 | 28°F | 14°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h |
| January 4 | 28°F | 13°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 28°F | 13°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 28°F | 13°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 27°F | 13°F | 33% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 8 | 27°F | 13°F | 33% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 27°F | 12°F | 33% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 27°F | 12°F | 33% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 27°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 27°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 13 | 27°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 27°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 17 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 18 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 19 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 23 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 24 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 28 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 29 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 27°F | 11°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 27°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 12°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 1.47 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 13.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h to 9 h 50 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 66%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014837; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Madison in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around January 22 (34%). In all, 1.47 in falls on 11 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Madison, 30 nights fall to freezing, 20 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 13.7 inches.
Snow falls on 10 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 USW00014837.
How humid and windy is Madison in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 26°F with 63% relative humidity and a dew point of 15°F; at 6 a.m. it is 17°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 7.8 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. | 17°F | 12°F | 80% | 6.8 mph | 36% |
| 9 a.m. | 19°F | 13°F | 76% | 8.2 mph | – |
| noon | 24°F | 14°F | 66% | 9.8 mph | 34% |
| 3 p.m. | 26°F | 15°F | 63% | 9.7 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 23°F | 15°F | 69% | 7.6 mph | 37% |
| 9 p.m. | 21°F | 14°F | 74% | 7.2 mph | 46% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014837. 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 Madison?
The warmest January temperature on Madison's official record (since 1869) is 58°F, on January 6, 1880; the coldest is −37°F, on January 30, 1951. The wettest January brought 3.64 in (1874); the snowiest, 31.5 inches (1929).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 19.4°F: 2021 21.9°F (+2.5), 2022 14.4°F (−5.0), 2023 26.9°F (+7.6), 2024 22.9°F (+3.5), 2025 19.6°F (+0.2), 2026 16.2°F (−3.2). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21.9°F | +2.5°F | 1.27 in |
| 2022 | 14.4°F | −5.0°F | 0.48 in |
| 2023 | 26.9°F | +7.6°F | 1.82 in |
| 2024 | 22.9°F | +3.5°F | 1.99 in |
| 2025 | 19.6°F | +0.2°F | 0.10 in |
| 2026 | 16.2°F | −3.2°F | 1.68 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MSNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014837. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Madison 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; Madison's is 27°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.