Rochester weather in January: Rochester, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Rochester in January has a normal high of 33°F and a normal low of 19°F, a daily mean of 26°F, falling from 35°F on the 1st to 33°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 20 days in a normal January, 2.55 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 1°C and low of −7°C, 65 mm of precipitation and 70 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationFrederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014768
- Location43.12°N 77.68°W
- Elevation533 ft (163 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population207,282
- Jan 33° 19°
- Feb 35° 20°
- Mar 44° 27°
- Apr 57° 37°
- May 69° 48°
- Jun 78° 57°
- Jul 83° 62°
- Aug 81° 61°
- Sep 74° 54°
- Oct 61° 43°
- Nov 49° 34°
- Dec 39° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Rochester in January?
The normal high is 33°F and the normal low 19°F, for a daily mean of 26.2°F. January is 5.8°F cooler than December and 1.2°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Rochester and the 10th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 2°F, from 35°F on January 1 to 33°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 5.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 21°F and 31°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 63%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 35°F | 22°F | 63% | 24% |
| January 8 | 34°F | 20°F | 63% | 23% |
| January 15 | 33°F | 19°F | 62% | 23% |
| January 22 | 33°F | 18°F | 61% | 23% |
| January 31 | 33°F | 18°F | 59% | 22% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 26)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 35°F | 22°F | 63% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 2 | 35°F | 21°F | 63% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 3 | 35°F | 21°F | 63% | 24% | 9 h |
| January 4 | 34°F | 21°F | 63% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 34°F | 21°F | 63% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 34°F | 20°F | 63% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 34°F | 20°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 8 | 34°F | 20°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 34°F | 20°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 34°F | 20°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 34°F | 20°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 34°F | 19°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 13 | 33°F | 19°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 33°F | 19°F | 63% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 33°F | 19°F | 62% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 33°F | 19°F | 62% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 17 | 33°F | 19°F | 62% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 18 | 33°F | 18°F | 62% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 19 | 33°F | 18°F | 62% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 33°F | 18°F | 62% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 33°F | 18°F | 62% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 33°F | 18°F | 61% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 23 | 33°F | 18°F | 61% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 24 | 33°F | 18°F | 61% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 33°F | 18°F | 61% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 33°F | 18°F | 61% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 33°F | 18°F | 60% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 28 | 33°F | 18°F | 60% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 29 | 33°F | 18°F | 60% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 33°F | 18°F | 60% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 33°F | 18°F | 59% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 33°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 19°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 2.55 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 200.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 27.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 9 h to 9 h 50 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 52%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014768; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Rochester in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 62% on average, highest around January 5 (63%). In all, 2.55 in falls on 20 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Rochester, 27 nights fall to freezing, 16 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 27.4 inches.
Snow falls on 18 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 21 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014768.
How humid and windy is Rochester in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 29°F with 64% relative humidity and a dew point of 18°F; at 6 a.m. it is 23°F with 77% 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. | 23°F | 17°F | 77% | 9.3 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 24°F | 17°F | 76% | 10.4 mph | – |
| noon | 28°F | 18°F | 67% | 12.5 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 29°F | 18°F | 64% | 12.4 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 19°F | 70% | 9.9 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 25°F | 18°F | 74% | 9.6 mph | 20% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014768. 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 Rochester?
The warmest January temperature on Rochester's official record (since 1872) is 74°F, on January 25, 1950; the coldest is −17°F, on January 16, 1994. The wettest January brought 8.05 in (1878); the snowiest, 61.3 inches (2004).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 26.2°F: 2021 27.9°F (+1.7), 2022 19.5°F (−6.7), 2023 32.8°F (+6.6), 2024 30.1°F (+3.9), 2025 24.3°F (−1.9), 2026 23.0°F (−3.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27.9°F | +1.7°F | 1.97 in |
| 2022 | 19.5°F | −6.7°F | 2.50 in |
| 2023 | 32.8°F | +6.6°F | 3.54 in |
| 2024 | 30.1°F | +3.9°F | 4.18 in |
| 2025 | 24.3°F | −1.9°F | 1.22 in |
| 2026 | 23.0°F | −3.2°F | 3.28 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ROCthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014768. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Rochester compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, January normal highs run from 23°F in Cooperstown to 42°F in Wantagh; Rochester's is 33°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.