South Lake Tahoe weather in January: South Lake Tahoe, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
South Lake Tahoe in January has a normal high of 43°F and a normal low of 18°F, a daily mean of 31°F, holding near 43°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal January, 2.81 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 6°C and low of −8°C, 71 mm of precipitation in January.
- NOAA stationSouth Lake Tahoe Airport
- Station IDUSW00093230
- Location38.90°N 119.99°W
- Elevation6,314 ft (1,925 m)
- Population21,225
- Jan 43° 18°
- Feb 43° 19°
- Mar 48° 24°
- Apr 53° 28°
- May 62° 33°
- Jun 72° 38°
- Jul 80° 43°
- Aug 80° 41°
- Sep 73° 35°
- Oct 62° 29°
- Nov 51° 23°
- Dec 43° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is South Lake Tahoe in January?
The normal high is 43°F and the normal low 18°F, for a daily mean of 30.6°F. January is 0.2°F warmer than December and 0.7°F cooler than February. January is the 11th warmest month of the year in South Lake Tahoe and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 42°F on January 1 to 43°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 3.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 27°F and 34°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 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 42°F | 18°F | 32% | 18% |
| January 8 | 43°F | 18°F | 30% | 17% |
| January 15 | 43°F | 19°F | 29% | 16% |
| January 22 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% |
| January 31 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 17% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 15, coldest night January 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 42°F | 18°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 2 | 42°F | 18°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 3 | 43°F | 18°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 4 | 43°F | 18°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 5 | 43°F | 18°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 6 | 43°F | 18°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 7 | 43°F | 18°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 8 | 43°F | 18°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 9 | 43°F | 18°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 10 | 43°F | 18°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 11 | 43°F | 18°F | 29% | 17% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 12 | 43°F | 18°F | 29% | 17% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 13 | 43°F | 18°F | 29% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 14 | 43°F | 19°F | 29% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 15 | 43°F | 19°F | 29% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 16 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 17 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 18 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 19 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 20 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 21 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 22 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 23 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h |
| January 24 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h |
| January 25 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h |
| January 26 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h |
| January 27 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h |
| January 28 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h |
| January 29 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 30 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 31 | 43°F | 19°F | 28% | 17% | 10 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 43°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 18°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 2.81 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 10 h 10 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 77%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093230; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in South Lake Tahoe in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 29% on average, highest around January 1 (32%). In all, 2.81 in falls on 9 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in South Lake Tahoe, 29 nights fall to freezing and 3 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093230.
What are the records for January in South Lake Tahoe?
The warmest January temperature on this station's record (since 1968) is 66°F, on January 25, 2015; the coldest is −21°F, on January 3, 1993. The wettest January brought 13.84 in (2017); the snowiest, 99.2 inches (2017).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 30.6°F: 2021 31.9°F (+1.3), 2022 28.8°F (−1.8), 2024 31.3°F (+0.7), 2025 31.1°F (+0.5), 2026 30.9°F (+0.3). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31.9°F | +1.3°F | 1.65 in |
| 2022 | 28.8°F | −1.8°F | 0.06 in |
| 2024 | 31.3°F | +0.7°F | 2.03 in |
| 2025 | 31.1°F | +0.5°F | 0.67 in |
| 2026 | 30.9°F | +0.3°F | 2.19 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093230; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093230. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in South Lake Tahoe compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, January normal highs run from 37°F in Tahoma to 72°F in Brawley; South Lake Tahoe's is 43°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- South Lake Tahoe in December43°F by day, 18°F at night
- South Lake Tahoe in February43°F by day, 19°F at night
- South Lake Tahoe through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Brawley: California's warmest Januarynormal high 72°F