Milwaukee weather in January: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Milwaukee in January has a normal high of 31°F and a normal low of 17°F, a daily mean of 24°F, falling from 32°F on the 1st to 31°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal January, 1.79 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −1°C and low of −8°C, 45 mm of precipitation and 38 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationMilwaukee Mitchell Airport
- Station IDUSW00014839
- Location42.95°N 87.90°W
- Elevation670 ft (204 m)
- From the center8 miles
- Population563,531
- Jan 31° 17°
- Feb 34° 20°
- Mar 44° 29°
- Apr 55° 38°
- May 67° 48°
- Jun 77° 58°
- Jul 82° 65°
- Aug 80° 64°
- Sep 74° 56°
- Oct 61° 45°
- Nov 48° 33°
- Dec 36° 23°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Milwaukee in January?
The normal high is 31°F and the normal low 17°F, for a daily mean of 24.0°F. January is 5.5°F cooler than December and 3.1°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Milwaukee and the 11th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 1°F, from 32°F on January 1 to 31°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.7°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 19°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 36%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 32°F | 19°F | 35% | 15% |
| January 8 | 31°F | 18°F | 36% | 15% |
| January 15 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% |
| January 22 | 30°F | 16°F | 36% | 15% |
| January 31 | 31°F | 17°F | 34% | 15% |
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 | 32°F | 19°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h |
| January 2 | 32°F | 19°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h |
| January 3 | 32°F | 19°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 32°F | 19°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 32°F | 18°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 32°F | 18°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 32°F | 18°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 8 | 31°F | 18°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 31°F | 18°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 31°F | 18°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 17 | 31°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 18 | 30°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 19 | 30°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 30°F | 17°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 30°F | 16°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 30°F | 16°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 23 | 30°F | 16°F | 36% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 24 | 30°F | 16°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 30°F | 16°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 30°F | 16°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 30°F | 17°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 28 | 31°F | 17°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 29 | 31°F | 17°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 31°F | 17°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 31°F | 17°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 31°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 17°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 1.79 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 14.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 28
- Daylight
- 9 h to 9 h 50 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 53%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014839; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Milwaukee in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 36% on average, highest around January 10 (36%). In all, 1.79 in falls on 11 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Milwaukee, 28 nights fall to freezing, 18 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 14.9 inches.
Snow falls on 10 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 20 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014839.
How humid and windy is Milwaukee in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 28°F with 62% relative humidity and a dew point of 17°F; at 6 a.m. it is 21°F with 76% humidity. The wind averages 10.4 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. | 21°F | 14°F | 76% | 9.6 mph | 32% |
| 9 a.m. | 23°F | 15°F | 73% | 10.7 mph | 31% |
| noon | 27°F | 16°F | 64% | 11.7 mph | 22% |
| 3 p.m. | 28°F | 17°F | 62% | 11.8 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 26°F | 17°F | 68% | 9.8 mph | 24% |
| 9 p.m. | 24°F | 16°F | 71% | 10.0 mph | 38% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014839. 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 Milwaukee?
The warmest January temperature on Milwaukee's official record (since 1871) is 63°F, on January 7, 2008; the coldest is −26°F, on January 17, 1982. The wettest January brought 5.38 in (1918); the snowiest, 52.6 inches (1918).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 24.0°F: 2021 27.9°F (+3.9), 2022 20.5°F (−3.5), 2023 31.9°F (+7.9), 2024 27.8°F (+3.8), 2025 21.3°F (−2.7), 2026 19.3°F (−4.7). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27.9°F | +3.9°F | 2.02 in |
| 2022 | 20.5°F | −3.5°F | 0.46 in |
| 2023 | 31.9°F | +7.9°F | 2.03 in |
| 2024 | 27.8°F | +3.8°F | 3.32 in |
| 2025 | 21.3°F | −2.7°F | 0.14 in |
| 2026 | 19.3°F | −4.7°F | 1.42 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MKEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014839. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Milwaukee 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; Milwaukee's is 31°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.