Philadelphia weather in January: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Philadelphia in January has a normal high of 41°F and a normal low of 26°F, a daily mean of 34°F, holding near 41°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal January, 3.13 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 5°C and low of −3°C, 80 mm of precipitation and 18 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationPhiladelphia International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013739
- Location39.87°N 75.23°W
- Elevation10 ft (3 m)
- From the center11 miles
- Population1,573,916
- Jan 41° 26°
- Feb 44° 28°
- Mar 53° 34°
- Apr 65° 44°
- May 74° 54°
- Jun 83° 64°
- Jul 88° 70°
- Aug 86° 68°
- Sep 79° 61°
- Oct 67° 49°
- Nov 56° 39°
- Dec 46° 31°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Philadelphia in January?
The normal high is 41°F and the normal low 26°F, for a daily mean of 33.7°F. January is 4.9°F cooler than December and 2.2°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Philadelphia and the 10th wettest. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 30°F and 38°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 | 42°F | 28°F | 36% | 20% |
| January 8 | 42°F | 27°F | 36% | 20% |
| January 15 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% |
| January 22 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% |
| January 31 | 42°F | 26°F | 34% | 19% |
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 | 42°F | 28°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 2 | 42°F | 28°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 3 | 42°F | 27°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 4 | 42°F | 27°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 5 | 42°F | 27°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 6 | 42°F | 27°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 7 | 42°F | 27°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 8 | 42°F | 27°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 9 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 10 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 11 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 12 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 13 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 14 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 15 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 16 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 17 | 41°F | 26°F | 36% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 18 | 41°F | 26°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 19 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 20 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 21 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 22 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 23 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 24 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 25 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 26 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 27 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 28 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 29 | 41°F | 25°F | 34% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 30 | 42°F | 25°F | 34% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 31 | 42°F | 26°F | 34% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 41°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 26°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.13 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 7.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 23
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 10 h 10 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013739; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Philadelphia in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around January 2 (36%). In all, 3.13 in falls on 11 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Philadelphia, 23 nights fall to freezing, 6 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 7.1 inches.
Snow falls on 4 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 5 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013739.
How humid and windy is Philadelphia in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 40°F with 48% relative humidity and a dew point of 22°F; at 6 a.m. it is 30°F with 69% humidity. The wind averages 9.9 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. | 30°F | 21°F | 69% | 8.7 mph | 39% |
| 9 a.m. | 32°F | 22°F | 65% | 10.4 mph | 33% |
| noon | 38°F | 22°F | 52% | 11.9 mph | 30% |
| 3 p.m. | 40°F | 22°F | 48% | 11.9 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 37°F | 22°F | 53% | 10.0 mph | 31% |
| 9 p.m. | 34°F | 22°F | 59% | 9.2 mph | 41% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013739. 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 Philadelphia?
The warmest January temperature on Philadelphia's official record (since 1873) is 74°F, on January 26, 1950; the coldest is −7°F, on January 17, 1982. The wettest January brought 8.86 in (1978); the snowiest, 33.8 inches (1996).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 33.7°F: 2021 35.7°F (+2.0), 2022 32.4°F (−1.3), 2023 43.3°F (+9.6), 2024 36.6°F (+2.9), 2025 30.4°F (−3.4), 2026 31.5°F (−2.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35.7°F | +2.0°F | 1.55 in |
| 2022 | 32.4°F | −1.3°F | 3.35 in |
| 2023 | 43.3°F | +9.6°F | 3.36 in |
| 2024 | 36.6°F | +2.9°F | 5.91 in |
| 2025 | 30.4°F | −3.4°F | 0.93 in |
| 2026 | 31.5°F | −2.2°F | 2.84 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record PHLthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013739. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Philadelphia compare across Pennsylvania?
Across the 108 places PlainClimate covers in Pennsylvania, January normal highs run from 29°F in Laporte to 43°F in Marcus Hook; Philadelphia's is 41°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Philadelphia in December46°F by day, 31°F at night
- Philadelphia in February44°F by day, 28°F at night
- Philadelphia through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Pennsylvania in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Marcus Hook: Pennsylvania's warmest Januarynormal high 43°F