Portland weather in January: Portland, Maine: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Portland in January has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 16°F, a daily mean of 24°F, falling from 34°F on the 1st to 32°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal January, 3.50 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −9°C, 89 mm of precipitation and 47 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationPortland International Jetport
- Station IDUSW00014764
- Location43.65°N 70.30°W
- Elevation45 ft (14 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population69,568
- Jan 32° 16°
- Feb 35° 17°
- Mar 42° 26°
- Apr 54° 35°
- May 64° 46°
- Jun 74° 55°
- Jul 80° 61°
- Aug 79° 60°
- Sep 71° 52°
- Oct 60° 41°
- Nov 48° 32°
- Dec 38° 22°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Portland in January?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 16°F, for a daily mean of 24.0°F. January is 6.3°F cooler than December and 2.2°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Portland and the 11th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 2°F, from 34°F on January 1 to 32°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 20°F and 28°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 39%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 34°F | 18°F | 39% | 24% |
| January 8 | 33°F | 17°F | 38% | 23% |
| January 15 | 32°F | 15°F | 37% | 23% |
| January 22 | 32°F | 15°F | 35% | 22% |
| January 31 | 32°F | 15°F | 34% | 22% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 23)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 34°F | 18°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 2 | 34°F | 18°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 3 | 34°F | 18°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 4 | 34°F | 17°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 5 | 33°F | 17°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 6 | 33°F | 17°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 7 | 33°F | 17°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 8 | 33°F | 17°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 33°F | 16°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 33°F | 16°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 32°F | 16°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 32°F | 16°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 13 | 32°F | 16°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 14 | 32°F | 16°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 15 | 32°F | 15°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 32°F | 15°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 17 | 32°F | 15°F | 37% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 18 | 32°F | 15°F | 36% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 19 | 32°F | 15°F | 36% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 20 | 32°F | 15°F | 36% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 32°F | 15°F | 36% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 32°F | 15°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 23 | 32°F | 15°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 24 | 32°F | 15°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 25 | 32°F | 15°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 32°F | 15°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 32°F | 15°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 28 | 32°F | 15°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 29 | 32°F | 15°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 30 | 32°F | 15°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 32°F | 15°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 32°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 16°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.50 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 18.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h to 9 h 50 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 67%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014764; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Portland in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 37% on average, highest around January 1 (39%). In all, 3.50 in falls on 11 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Portland, 29 nights fall to freezing, 16 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 18.6 inches.
Snow falls on 8 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 23 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014764.
How humid and windy is Portland in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 30°F with 50% relative humidity and a dew point of 14°F; at 6 a.m. it is 19°F with 71% humidity. The wind averages 8.0 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. | 19°F | 11°F | 71% | 6.7 mph | 55% |
| 9 a.m. | 22°F | 12°F | 65% | 8.3 mph | 53% |
| noon | 28°F | 13°F | 52% | 9.6 mph | 53% |
| 3 p.m. | 30°F | 14°F | 50% | 10.5 mph | 52% |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 14°F | 57% | 7.6 mph | 57% |
| 9 p.m. | 24°F | 13°F | 62% | 7.4 mph | 60% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014764. 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 Portland?
The warmest January temperature on Portland's official record (since 1874) is 67°F, on January 6, 2007; the coldest is −26°F, on January 19, 1971. The wettest January brought 12.29 in (1935); the snowiest, 62.4 inches (1979).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 24.0°F: 2021 27.8°F (+3.8), 2022 20.6°F (−3.4), 2023 31.4°F (+7.4), 2024 27.4°F (+3.4), 2025 22.8°F (−1.2), 2026 21.2°F (−2.8). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27.8°F | +3.8°F | 2.27 in |
| 2022 | 20.6°F | −3.4°F | 2.73 in |
| 2023 | 31.4°F | +7.4°F | 7.74 in |
| 2024 | 27.4°F | +3.4°F | 7.92 in |
| 2025 | 22.8°F | −1.2°F | 2.03 in |
| 2026 | 21.2°F | −2.8°F | 2.40 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record PWMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014764. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Portland compare across Maine?
Across the 42 places PlainClimate covers in Maine, January normal highs run from 19°F in Fort Kent to 33°F in Kennebunkport; Portland's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.