Watertown weather in January: Watertown, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Watertown in January has a normal high of 21°F and a normal low of 3°F, a daily mean of 12°F, holding near 21°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal January, 0.58 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −6°C and low of −16°C, 15 mm of precipitation and 17 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationWatertown Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014946
- Location44.90°N 97.15°W
- Elevation1,748 ft (533 m)
- Population23,492
- Jan 21° 3°
- Feb 26° 7°
- Mar 39° 20°
- Apr 54° 32°
- May 67° 45°
- Jun 77° 55°
- Jul 82° 60°
- Aug 80° 58°
- Sep 72° 49°
- Oct 56° 35°
- Nov 40° 21°
- Dec 26° 9°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Watertown in January?
The normal high is 21°F and the normal low 3°F, for a daily mean of 12.2°F. January is 5.6°F cooler than December and 4.1°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Watertown and the 12th wettest. 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 7°F and 18°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 21%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 22°F | 5°F | 20% | 7% |
| January 8 | 21°F | 4°F | 20% | 7% |
| January 15 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 6% |
| January 22 | 21°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% |
| January 31 | 22°F | 3°F | 21% | 6% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 22)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 22°F | 5°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 2 | 22°F | 5°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 22°F | 5°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 4 | 22°F | 4°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 5 | 22°F | 4°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 6 | 21°F | 4°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 7 | 21°F | 4°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 8 | 21°F | 4°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 9 | 21°F | 4°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 10 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 11 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 12 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 13 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h |
| January 14 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 15 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 16 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 17 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 18 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 19 | 21°F | 3°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 20 | 21°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 21 | 21°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 22 | 21°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 23 | 21°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 24 | 21°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 25 | 22°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 26 | 22°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 27 | 22°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 28 | 22°F | 2°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 29 | 22°F | 3°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 30 | 22°F | 3°F | 21% | 6% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 31 | 22°F | 3°F | 21% | 6% | 9 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 21°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 3°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 0.58 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 6.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min to 9 h 40 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 77%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014946; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Watertown in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 20% on average, highest around January 31 (21%). In all, 0.58 in falls on 6 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Watertown, 31 nights fall to freezing, 24 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 6.7 inches.
Snow falls on 6 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 26 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014946.
How humid and windy is Watertown in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 21°F with 74% relative humidity and a dew point of 14°F; at 6 a.m. it is 11°F with 85% humidity. The wind averages 10.6 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. | 11°F | 7°F | 85% | 9.9 mph | 55% |
| 9 a.m. | 12°F | 8°F | 84% | 9.8 mph | 57% |
| noon | 18°F | 12°F | 77% | 11.9 mph | 59% |
| 3 p.m. | 21°F | 14°F | 74% | 12.6 mph | 55% |
| 6 p.m. | 17°F | 12°F | 80% | 10.3 mph | 61% |
| 9 p.m. | 15°F | 10°F | 83% | 10.3 mph | 64% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014946. 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 Watertown?
The warmest January temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 65°F, on January 24, 1981; the coldest is −40°F, on January 13, 1916. The wettest January brought 2.11 in (1979); the snowiest, 27.0 inches (1916).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 12.2°F: 2021 22.2°F (+10.0), 2022 9.3°F (−2.8), 2023 13.9°F (+1.8), 2024 14.5°F (+2.3), 2025 13.0°F (+0.8), 2026 12.8°F (+0.6). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22.2°F | +10.0°F | 0.54 in |
| 2022 | 9.3°F | −2.8°F | 0.71 in |
| 2023 | 13.9°F | +1.8°F | 0.48 in |
| 2024 | 14.5°F | +2.3°F | 0.39 in |
| 2025 | 13.0°F | +0.8°F | 0.02 in |
| 2026 | 12.8°F | +0.6°F | 0.25 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00014946; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014946. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Watertown compare across South Dakota?
Across the 100 places PlainClimate covers in South Dakota, January normal highs run from 20°F in Astoria to 41°F in Hill City; Watertown's is 21°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Watertown in December26°F by day, 9°F at night
- Watertown in February26°F by day, 7°F at night
- Watertown through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Dakota in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Hill City: South Dakota's warmest Januarynormal high 41°F