Washington weather in January: Washington, District of Columbia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Washington in January has a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 30°F, a daily mean of 38°F, holding near 45°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 2.86 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 7°C and low of −1°C, 73 mm of precipitation and 12 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationWashington Reagan Airport
- Station IDUSW00013743
- Location38.85°N 77.03°W
- Elevation10 ft (3 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population702,250
- Jan 45° 30°
- Feb 48° 32°
- Mar 57° 39°
- Apr 68° 48°
- May 77° 58°
- Jun 85° 68°
- Jul 90° 72°
- Aug 88° 71°
- Sep 81° 64°
- Oct 69° 52°
- Nov 58° 42°
- Dec 49° 35°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Washington in January?
The normal high is 45°F and the normal low 30°F, for a daily mean of 37.5°F. January is 4.2°F cooler than December and 2.5°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Washington and the 11th wettest. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 33°F and 42°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 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% |
| January 8 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% |
| January 15 | 44°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% |
| January 22 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% |
| January 31 | 46°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% |
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 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 2 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 3 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 4 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 5 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 6 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 7 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 8 | 45°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 9 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 10 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 11 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 12 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 13 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 14 | 44°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 15 | 44°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 16 | 44°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 17 | 44°F | 30°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 18 | 44°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 19 | 44°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 20 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 21 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 22 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 23 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h |
| January 24 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h |
| January 25 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h |
| January 26 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h |
| January 27 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h |
| January 28 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h |
| January 29 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 30 | 45°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 31 | 46°F | 30°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 45°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 30°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 2.86 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 4.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 20
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 10 h 10 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013743; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Washington in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around January 8 (32%). In all, 2.86 in falls on 10 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Washington, 20 nights fall to freezing, 4 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.9 inches.
Snow falls on 3 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 4 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013743.
How humid and windy is Washington in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 43°F with 46% relative humidity and a dew point of 24°F; at 6 a.m. it is 33°F with 68% humidity. The wind averages 9.2 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. | 33°F | 23°F | 68% | 8.1 mph | 38% |
| 9 a.m. | 35°F | 24°F | 64% | 9.2 mph | 27% |
| noon | 40°F | 24°F | 52% | 10.5 mph | 24% |
| 3 p.m. | 43°F | 24°F | 46% | 10.7 mph | 22% |
| 6 p.m. | 40°F | 24°F | 52% | 9.6 mph | 30% |
| 9 p.m. | 37°F | 24°F | 58% | 8.9 mph | 37% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013743. 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 Washington?
The warmest January temperature on Washington's official record (since 1871) is 80°F, on January 26, 2024; the coldest is −14°F, on January 1, 1881. The wettest January brought 7.83 in (1937); the snowiest, 31.5 inches (1922).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 37.5°F: 2021 38.6°F (+1.1), 2022 34.6°F (−2.9), 2023 45.2°F (+7.7), 2024 39.8°F (+2.3), 2025 34.2°F (−3.3), 2026 33.3°F (−4.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 38.6°F | +1.1°F | 1.93 in |
| 2022 | 34.6°F | −2.9°F | 3.68 in |
| 2023 | 45.2°F | +7.7°F | 1.65 in |
| 2024 | 39.8°F | +2.3°F | 5.88 in |
| 2025 | 34.2°F | −3.3°F | 1.95 in |
| 2026 | 33.3°F | −4.2°F | 3.16 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DCAthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013743. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Washington compare across District of Columbia?
Across the 1 places PlainClimate covers in District of Columbia, January normal highs run from 45°F in Washington to 45°F in Washington; Washington's is 45°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.