Seattle weather in January: Seattle, Washington: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Seattle in January has a normal high of 48°F and a normal low of 38°F, a daily mean of 43°F, rising from 47°F on the 1st to 49°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 19 days in a normal January, 5.78 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 9°C and low of 3°C, 147 mm of precipitation and 5 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationSeattle Tacoma International Airport
- Station IDUSW00024233
- Location47.44°N 122.31°W
- Elevation370 ft (113 m)
- From the center12 miles
- Population780,995
- Jan 48° 38°
- Feb 50° 38°
- Mar 54° 40°
- Apr 59° 43°
- May 66° 49°
- Jun 71° 53°
- Jul 77° 57°
- Aug 78° 57°
- Sep 72° 54°
- Oct 61° 47°
- Nov 52° 41°
- Dec 47° 37°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Seattle in January?
The normal high is 48°F and the normal low 38°F, for a daily mean of 42.8°F. January is 0.8°F warmer than December and 1.2°F cooler than February. January is the 11th warmest month of the year in Seattle and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 2°F, from 47°F on January 1 to 49°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 2.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 40°F and 46°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 61%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 47°F | 37°F | 61% | 41% |
| January 8 | 47°F | 38°F | 61% | 41% |
| January 15 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 40% |
| January 22 | 49°F | 38°F | 59% | 39% |
| January 31 | 49°F | 38°F | 58% | 36% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 47°F | 37°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 30 min |
| January 2 | 47°F | 37°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 30 min |
| January 3 | 47°F | 37°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 30 min |
| January 4 | 47°F | 37°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 30 min |
| January 5 | 47°F | 37°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 6 | 47°F | 37°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 7 | 47°F | 38°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 8 | 47°F | 38°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 9 | 47°F | 38°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 10 | 48°F | 38°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 11 | 48°F | 38°F | 61% | 41% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 12 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 40% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 13 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 40% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 14 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 40% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 15 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 40% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 16 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 40% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 17 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 39% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 18 | 48°F | 38°F | 60% | 39% | 9 h |
| January 19 | 48°F | 38°F | 59% | 39% | 9 h |
| January 20 | 48°F | 38°F | 59% | 39% | 9 h |
| January 21 | 49°F | 38°F | 59% | 39% | 9 h |
| January 22 | 49°F | 38°F | 59% | 39% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 49°F | 38°F | 59% | 38% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 49°F | 38°F | 59% | 38% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 49°F | 38°F | 59% | 38% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 26 | 49°F | 38°F | 59% | 38% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 49°F | 38°F | 58% | 37% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 49°F | 38°F | 58% | 37% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 49°F | 38°F | 58% | 37% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 30 | 49°F | 38°F | 58% | 37% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 31 | 49°F | 38°F | 58% | 36% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 48°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 38°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 5.78 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 190.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.8 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 7
- 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 USW00024233; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Seattle in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 60% on average, highest around January 2 (61%). In all, 5.78 in falls on 19 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Seattle, 7 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 1.8 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 USW00024233.
How humid and windy is Seattle in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 47°F with 69% relative humidity and a dew point of 37°F; at 6 a.m. it is 40°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 8.3 mph, most often from the south-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 40°F | 36°F | 84% | 7.4 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 41°F | 36°F | 81% | 8.0 mph | – |
| noon | 45°F | 37°F | 73% | 8.4 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 47°F | 37°F | 69% | 9.0 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 44°F | 37°F | 75% | 8.2 mph | 17% |
| 9 p.m. | 43°F | 37°F | 78% | 8.5 mph | 22% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024233. 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 Seattle?
The warmest January temperature on this station's record (since 1945) is 64°F, on January 20, 1981; the coldest is 0°F, on January 31, 1950. The wettest January brought 12.92 in (1953); the snowiest, 57.2 inches (1950).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 42.8°F: 2021 43.8°F (+1.0), 2022 41.0°F (−1.8), 2023 43.5°F (+0.7), 2024 41.6°F (−1.2), 2025 39.1°F (−3.6), 2026 43.4°F (+0.6). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43.8°F | +1.0°F | 8.75 in |
| 2022 | 41.0°F | −1.8°F | 7.06 in |
| 2023 | 43.5°F | +0.7°F | 3.09 in |
| 2024 | 41.6°F | −1.2°F | 6.52 in |
| 2025 | 39.1°F | −3.6°F | 1.92 in |
| 2026 | 43.4°F | +0.6°F | 4.27 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00024233; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024233. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Seattle 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; Seattle's is 48°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.