Olympia weather in January: Olympia, Washington: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January

Olympia in January has a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 33°F, a daily mean of 40°F, rising from 45°F on the 1st to 47°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 20 days in a normal January, 7.80 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)

In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of 1°C, 198 mm of precipitation and 5 cm of snow in January.

  • NOAA stationOlympia Airport
  • Station IDUSW00024227
  • Location46.97°N 122.90°W
  • Elevation188 ft (57 m)
  • Population56,271
  1. Jan 46° 33°
  2. Feb 49° 32°
  3. Mar 54° 35°
  4. Apr 59° 38°
  5. May 66° 43°
  6. Jun 71° 47°
  7. Jul 78° 51°
  8. Aug 78° 51°
  9. Sep 72° 46°
  10. Oct 60° 41°
  11. Nov 51° 36°
  12. Dec 45° 33°

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

How warm is Olympia in January?

The normal high is 46°F and the normal low 33°F, for a daily mean of 39.6°F. January is 0.7°F warmer than December and 1.1°F cooler than February. January is the 11th warmest month of the year in Olympia and the 3rd wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high rises 2°F, from 45°F on January 1 to 47°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 2.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 37°F and 42°F.

Olympia 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 67%).

Normal high and low on five days of January, with the chance of precipitation
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 in
January 145°F33°F67%46%
January 845°F33°F66%46%
January 1546°F33°F65%45%
January 2247°F33°F63%44%
January 3147°F33°F61%42%
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 30)
Olympia: NOAA 1991-2020 daily normals for each day of January
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 inDaylight
January 145°F33°F67%46%8 h 30 min
January 245°F33°F67%46%8 h 40 min
January 345°F33°F67%46%8 h 40 min
January 445°F33°F67%46%8 h 40 min
January 545°F33°F67%46%8 h 40 min
January 645°F33°F66%46%8 h 40 min
January 745°F33°F66%46%8 h 40 min
January 845°F33°F66%46%8 h 40 min
January 945°F33°F66%46%8 h 40 min
January 1045°F33°F66%46%8 h 50 min
January 1146°F33°F66%45%8 h 50 min
January 1246°F33°F65%45%8 h 50 min
January 1346°F33°F65%45%8 h 50 min
January 1446°F33°F65%45%8 h 50 min
January 1546°F33°F65%45%8 h 50 min
January 1646°F33°F64%45%9 h
January 1746°F33°F64%45%9 h
January 1846°F33°F64%45%9 h
January 1946°F33°F64%44%9 h
January 2046°F33°F64%44%9 h
January 2147°F33°F63%44%9 h 10 min
January 2247°F33°F63%44%9 h 10 min
January 2347°F33°F63%44%9 h 10 min
January 2447°F33°F63%44%9 h 10 min
January 2547°F33°F62%43%9 h 20 min
January 2647°F33°F62%43%9 h 20 min
January 2747°F33°F62%43%9 h 20 min
January 2847°F33°F62%43%9 h 20 min
January 2947°F33°F62%43%9 h 30 min
January 3047°F33°F62%42%9 h 30 min
January 3147°F33°F61%42%9 h 30 min
Normal high
46°FJanuary average
Normal low
33°FJanuary average
Precipitation
7.80 inmonth total
Days with precipitation
200.01 inch or more
Snowfall
2.0 inmonth total
Nights at 32°F or colder
13
Daylight
8 h 30 min to 9 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
Sunshine
52%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024227; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.

Does it rain or snow in Olympia in January?

On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 64% on average, highest around January 1 (67%). In all, 7.80 in falls on 20 days of a normal January, 2 of them with an inch or more.

In a normal January in Olympia, 13 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 2.0 inches.

Snow falls on 1 day in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024227.

How humid and windy is Olympia in January?

At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 47°F with 74% relative humidity and a dew point of 39°F; at 6 a.m. it is 38°F with 93% humidity. The wind averages 5.7 mph, most often from the south-southwest 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.38°F36°F93%5.1 mph–
9 a.m.39°F37°F92%5.3 mph–
noon44°F39°F80%7.4 mph20%
3 p.m.47°F39°F74%7.2 mph25%
6 p.m.43°F38°F85%5.4 mph33%
9 p.m.40°F37°F90%4.8 mph–

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024227. 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 Olympia?

The warmest January temperature on Olympia's official record (since 1948) is 64°F, on January 19, 2005; the coldest is −8°F, on January 1, 1979. The wettest January brought 19.84 in (1953); the snowiest, 58.7 inches (1969).

The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 39.6°F: 2021 41.6°F (+2.0), 2022 41.5°F (+1.9), 2023 40.4°F (+0.8), 2024 41.4°F (+1.8), 2025 37.5°F (−2.1), 2026 40.5°F (+0.9). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.

Olympia: January in recent years against the 1991-2020 normal
JanuaryMeanAgainst normalPrecip.
202141.6°F+2.0°F12.22 in
202241.5°F+1.9°F10.78 in
202340.4°F+0.8°F3.70 in
202441.4°F+1.8°F8.82 in
202537.5°F−2.1°F2.52 in
202640.5°F+0.9°F4.31 in

Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record OLMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024227. Records and recent months use complete months only.

How does January in Olympia compare across Washington?

Across the 96 places PlainClimate covers in Washington, January normal highs run from 30°F in Winthrop to 49°F in Long Beach; Olympia's is 46°F.

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

Other months and places