Waterloo weather in January: Waterloo, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Waterloo in January has a normal high of 28°F and a normal low of 11°F, a daily mean of 19°F, holding near 28°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal January, 1.10 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −2°C and low of −12°C, 28 mm of precipitation and 26 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationWaterloo Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00094910
- Location42.55°N 92.40°W
- Elevation868 ft (265 m)
- Population67,477
- Jan 28° 11°
- Feb 33° 15°
- Mar 47° 27°
- Apr 61° 38°
- May 73° 50°
- Jun 82° 61°
- Jul 85° 64°
- Aug 83° 61°
- Sep 77° 52°
- Oct 63° 40°
- Nov 47° 28°
- Dec 34° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Waterloo in January?
The normal high is 28°F and the normal low 11°F, for a daily mean of 19.4°F. January is 5.9°F cooler than December and 4.5°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Waterloo and the 12th wettest, and the snowiest. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 5.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 14°F and 25°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 27%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 29°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% |
| January 8 | 28°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% |
| January 15 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% |
| January 22 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% |
| January 31 | 29°F | 11°F | 27% | 12% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 20)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 29°F | 13°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 2 | 29°F | 12°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 3 | 29°F | 12°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 29°F | 12°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 29°F | 12°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 29°F | 12°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 28°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 8 | 28°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 28°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 28°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 11 | 28°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 12 | 28°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 17 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 18 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 19 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 23 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 24 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 28 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 29 | 28°F | 10°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 29°F | 11°F | 27% | 11% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 29°F | 11°F | 27% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 28°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 11°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 1.10 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 10.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 9 h 50 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094910; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Waterloo in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 27% on average, highest around January 30 (27%). In all, 1.10 in falls on 8 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Waterloo, 30 nights fall to freezing, 20 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 10.1 inches.
Snow falls on 7 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 USW00094910.
How humid and windy is Waterloo in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 25°F with 69% relative humidity and a dew point of 16°F; at 6 a.m. it is 16°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 10.0 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. | 16°F | 12°F | 82% | 8.9 mph | 44% |
| 9 a.m. | 18°F | 12°F | 80% | 10.2 mph | 46% |
| noon | 23°F | 15°F | 71% | 11.7 mph | 45% |
| 3 p.m. | 25°F | 16°F | 69% | 12.2 mph | 52% |
| 6 p.m. | 22°F | 16°F | 76% | 9.8 mph | 48% |
| 9 p.m. | 20°F | 15°F | 80% | 9.5 mph | 52% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094910. 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 Waterloo?
The warmest January temperature on Waterloo's official record (since 1895) is 65°F, on January 26, 2002; the coldest is −34°F, on January 16, 2009. The wettest January brought 3.02 in (1946); the snowiest, 25.1 inches (2024).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 19.4°F: 2021 21.7°F (+2.3), 2022 12.7°F (−6.7), 2023 23.3°F (+3.9), 2024 21.9°F (+2.5), 2025 20.2°F (+0.8), 2026 16.2°F (−3.2). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21.7°F | +2.3°F | 1.41 in |
| 2022 | 12.7°F | −6.7°F | 0.59 in |
| 2023 | 23.3°F | +3.9°F | 2.02 in |
| 2024 | 21.9°F | +2.5°F | 2.61 in |
| 2025 | 20.2°F | +0.8°F | 0.10 in |
| 2026 | 16.2°F | −3.2°F | 1.61 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ALOthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094910. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Waterloo compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, January normal highs run from 21°F in Northwood to 33°F in Shenandoah; Waterloo's is 28°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.