McGrath weather in January: McGrath, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January

McGrath in January has a normal high of 3°F and a normal low of −14°F, a daily mean of −6°F, rising from 1°F on the 1st to 8°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 1.15 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)

In metric: a normal high of −16°C and low of −26°C, 29 mm of precipitation and 37 cm of snow in January.

  • NOAA stationMcGrath Airport
  • Station IDUSW00026510
  • Location62.96°N 155.61°W
  • Elevation333 ft (102 m)
  • Population284
  1. Jan 3° -14°
  2. Feb 15° -6°
  3. Mar 25° -1°
  4. Apr 43° 22°
  5. May 59° 38°
  6. Jun 69° 49°
  7. Jul 70° 52°
  8. Aug 64° 48°
  9. Sep 54° 38°
  10. Oct 35° 22°
  11. Nov 15° 1°
  12. Dec 6° -10°

Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.

How warm is McGrath in January?

The normal high is 3°F and the normal low −14°F, for a daily mean of -5.8°F. January is 3.5°F cooler than December and 10.3°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in McGrath and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 7°F, from 1°F on January 1 to 8°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 9.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between -15°F and 4°F.

McGrath in January, day by day: normal high and low

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 35%).

Normal high and low on five days of January, with the chance of precipitation
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 in
January 11°F−15°F35%11%
January 81°F−16°F34%11%
January 151°F−15°F34%11%
January 223°F−14°F34%11%
January 318°F−10°F33%10%
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 8)
McGrath: NOAA 1991-2020 daily normals for each day of January
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 inDaylight
January 11°F−15°F35%11%5 h
January 21°F−15°F34%11%5 h
January 31°F−15°F34%11%5 h
January 41°F−15°F34%11%5 h
January 51°F−15°F34%11%5 h 10 min
January 61°F−15°F34%11%5 h 10 min
January 71°F−16°F34%11%5 h 10 min
January 81°F−16°F34%11%5 h 20 min
January 91°F−16°F34%11%5 h 20 min
January 101°F−16°F34%11%5 h 20 min
January 111°F−16°F34%11%5 h 30 min
January 121°F−16°F34%11%5 h 30 min
January 131°F−16°F34%11%5 h 40 min
January 141°F−15°F34%11%5 h 40 min
January 151°F−15°F34%11%5 h 50 min
January 162°F−15°F34%11%5 h 50 min
January 172°F−15°F34%11%6 h
January 182°F−15°F34%11%6 h
January 192°F−14°F34%11%6 h 10 min
January 203°F−14°F34%11%6 h 10 min
January 213°F−14°F34%11%6 h 20 min
January 223°F−14°F34%11%6 h 20 min
January 234°F−13°F34%11%6 h 30 min
January 244°F−13°F34%11%6 h 30 min
January 255°F−12°F34%11%6 h 40 min
January 265°F−12°F34%11%6 h 40 min
January 276°F−12°F33%11%6 h 50 min
January 286°F−11°F33%10%6 h 50 min
January 297°F−11°F33%10%7 h
January 307°F−10°F33%10%7 h 10 min
January 318°F−10°F33%10%7 h 10 min
Normal high
3°FJanuary average
Normal low
−14°FJanuary average
Precipitation
1.15 inmonth total
Days with precipitation
100.01 inch or more
Snowfall
14.7 inmonth total
Nights at 32°F or colder
31
Daylight
5 h to 7 h 10 minJanuary 1 to January 31
Sunshine
70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026510; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.

Does it rain or snow in McGrath in January?

On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around January 1 (35%). In all, 1.15 in falls on 10 days of a normal January.

In a normal January in McGrath, 31 nights fall to freezing, 28 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 14.7 inches.

Snow falls on 11 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 31 days.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026510.

How humid and windy is McGrath in January?

At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 2°F with 80% relative humidity and a dew point of −3°F; at 6 a.m. it is −5°F with 100% humidity. The wind averages 3.0 mph, most often from the north-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.

A normal January day at the station, hour by hour (local standard time)
TimeTemperatureDew pointHumidityWindClear or few clouds
6 a.m.−5°F−5°F100%3.0 mph48%
9 a.m.−7°F−7°F100%2.6 mph34%
noon−3°F−4°F95%2.6 mph33%
3 p.m.2°F−3°F80%3.3 mph30%
6 p.m.1°F−2°F86%3.1 mph39%
9 p.m.−3°F−3°F100%3.1 mph41%

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026510. 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 McGrath?

The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of -5.8°F: 2021 1.7°F (+7.5), 2023 4.1°F (+9.9), 2024 -8.5°F (−2.7), 2025 9.4°F (+15.2), 2026 -14.6°F (−8.8). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.

McGrath: January in recent years against the 1991-2020 normal
JanuaryMeanAgainst normalPrecip.
20211.7°F+7.5°F0.00 in
20234.1°F+9.9°F1.23 in
2024-8.5°F−2.7°F0.36 in
20259.4°F+15.2°F2.72 in
2026-14.6°F−8.8°F1.33 in

Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MCGthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026510. Records and recent months use complete months only.

How does January in McGrath compare across Alaska?

Across the 85 places PlainClimate covers in Alaska, January normal highs run from −11°F in Chicken to 41°F in Metlakatla; McGrath's is 3°F.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.

Other months and places