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Detroit in January: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Take a look at past year’s weather for Detroit in January and see if it is worth visiting.
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January

Weather in Detroit in January 2025

OK Weather
Chill
☁️
Cloudy
If you plan to visit Detroit in January, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +32°F during the day and approximately 3 sunny days. Expect some snowy, though, as there are typically 3 snowy days in the month and around 27 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
  • January is usually the coldest month of the year in Detroit;

Average weather

☀️
+32°F
Avg. max. temperature
-17°F
Min.
+61°F
Max.
25 mm
Total precipitation
74%
Avg. humidity
4 m/s
Avg. wind
3 ☀️
Sunny Days
23 ⛅️
Cloudy
2 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Detroit has OK weather in January.

Average temperature in Detroit in January

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Detroit for January based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The expected average maximum temperature in January is +28°F with a maximum of +43°F and a minimum of +3°F.

The average maximum temperature goes down 32% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +41°F to +28°F.

Is Detroit warm or cold in January?

Detroit is typically chill in January.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +37°F to +32°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +27°F to +19°F.

Pack a jumper and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.

January is the coldest month in Detroit, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in Detroit in January

Detroit weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Avg. temperature
+37°F+32°F+36°F
Min. temperature
-8°F-17°F-11°F
Max. temperature
+68°F+61°F+68°F
Rainfall
42 mm25 mm25 mm
Wind
4 m/s4 m/s4 m/s
Humidity
75%74%71%
Air pressure
1016 HPa1016 HPa1016 HPa
Sunny days
334
Cloudy days
212319
Rainy days
422
Snowy days
333

January weather is still as ok as in December. It’s getting colder in January. From +37°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +32°F. As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 42 mm to 25 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 75% to 74%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 4 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 3 sunny days during the month.

February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Detroit in January based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 5 m/s getting up to 9 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Detroit is gradually decreasing during January, going from 4 m/s to 1 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during January in Detroit based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 10% chance of rain on an average day in January, with total rainfall of approximately 4 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 2 mm, which is considered light rain. Detroit is amazing in January with as little as 3 rainy days on average, so plan adventures in the great outdoors.
Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Detroit wettest month is May, where a typical day has a 29% chance of precipitation and 99 mm of rainfall per day. January, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 6% chance of precipitation and 25 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during January in Detroit based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 16% chance of snow on an average day in January, with a total monthly snowfall of approximately 17 mm.

January is one of the snowiest months in Detroit.

Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:

How was the weather last January in Detroit?

This is the weather in Detroit in January 2023:
1 January
🌫️
+42°F
2 January
🌨️
+29°F
3 January
☀️
+28°F
4 January
☀️
+34°F
5 January
☀️
+37°F
6 January
🌨️
+24°F
7 January
☁️
+22°F
8 January
☀️
+31°F
9 January
☁️
+37°F
10 January
☀️
+22°F
11 January
☀️
+24°F
12 January
☀️
+40°F
13 January
☁️
+36°F
14 January
☁️
+33°F
15 January
☀️
+19°F
16 January
☀️
+30°F
17 January
☁️
+30°F
18 January
☁️
+33°F
19 January
☁️
+42°F
20 January
☁️
+26°F
21 January
☀️
+24°F
22 January
☀️
+26°F
23 January
☁️
+26°F
24 January
🌨️
+24°F
25 January
🌨️
+24°F
26 January
☀️
+20°F
27 January
☀️
+28°F
28 January
🌨️
+28°F
29 January
☀️
+21°F
30 January
☁️
+25°F
31 January
☀️
+29°F
In January 2023 Detroit had 15 sunny days, 10 cloudy days, and 0 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +28°F, with an absolute maximum of +43°F and a minimum of +19°F. The average humidity was 77%, with a maximum of 96% and a minimum of 40%. The average wind speed was 5 m/s, with a maximum of 14 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Detroit climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Detroit in January has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 2014 (+27°F) and the highest in 2006 (+44°F). The driest year was 1984 with only 3 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2009 with 0 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Detroit in January:

Is January a good time to visit Detroit?

It’s always a good time to visit Detroit, but the weather is changeable in January, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Detroit in January?

Not really, January is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.

Is Detroit rainy in January?

Detroit is usually dry in January. Plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring.

Is it sunny in Detroit in January?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Detroit in January, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in USA

Check out the weather for other cities in USA.

Monthly weather in Detroit

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Detroit, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.