Your trips
Organize your trips easily with tabs
New York
Washington
Any date
+ Search
background

Washington in January: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Discover the weather for Washington in January and if it’s a good time to travel (based on historical data).
Check flight prices to Washington on Avionero:
January

Weather in Washington in January 2025

OK Weather
Chill
☁️
Cloudy
If you plan to visit Washington in January, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +43°F during the day and approximately 4 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 5 rainy days in the month and around 59 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 Washington;

Average weather

☀️
+43°F
Avg. max. temperature
-6°F
Min.
+75°F
Max.
59 mm
Total precipitation
63%
Avg. humidity
2 m/s
Avg. wind
4 ☀️
Sunny Days
20 ⛅️
Cloudy
5 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Washington has OK weather in January.

Average temperature in Washington in January

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

The temperature in January is +41°F on average, with a range between a maximum of +63°F during the day and a minimum of +16°F at night.

The average maximum temperature goes down 50% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +61°F to +37°F.

Is Washington warm or cold in January?

Washington is typically chill in January.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +48°F to +43°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +34°F to +30°F.

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

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

Climate in Washington in January

Washington weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Avg. temperature
+48°F+43°F+46°F
Min. temperature
+1°F-6°F-2°F
Max. temperature
+77°F+75°F+79°F
Rainfall
71 mm59 mm59 mm
Wind
2 m/s2 m/s3 m/s
Humidity
65%63%61%
Air pressure
1018 HPa1018 HPa1018 HPa
Sunny days
444
Cloudy days
202017
Rainy days
655
Snowy days
122

January weather is still as ok as in December. It’s getting colder in January. From +48°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +43°F. As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 71 mm to 59 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 65% to 63%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 2 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 4 sunny days during the month.

February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

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

The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 8 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Washington is gradually increasing during January, going from 2 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during January in Washington based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
A chance of rain on a typical day in January stands at 42%, leading to total precipitation of around 100 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 25 mm, which is moderate rain. January is a pretty wet month with over 13 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Washington wettest month is July, where a typical day has a 32% chance of precipitation and 133 mm of rainfall per day. January, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 16% chance of precipitation and 59 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during January in Washington based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 10% chance of snow on an average day in January, with a total monthly snowfall of approximately 36 mm.

January is one of the snowiest months in Washington.

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

How was the weather last January in Washington?

This is the weather in Washington in January 2023:
1 January
🌧️
+61°F
2 January
🌧️
+63°F
3 January
🌨️
+55°F
4 January
☀️
+36°F
5 January
🌧️
+40°F
6 January
🌧️
+43°F
7 January
🌨️
+38°F
8 January
☀️
+34°F
9 January
☁️
+42°F
10 January
☁️
+44°F
11 January
☁️
+33°F
12 January
☀️
+47°F
13 January
☁️
+50°F
14 January
☁️
+47°F
15 January
☁️
+40°F
16 January
☁️
+28°F
17 January
🌧️
+43°F
18 January
☁️
+40°F
19 January
☁️
+53°F
20 January
🌧️
+50°F
21 January
☁️
+33°F
22 January
☀️
+34°F
23 January
☁️
+40°F
24 January
☁️
+41°F
25 January
☁️
+48°F
26 January
☀️
+35°F
27 January
☀️
+37°F
28 January
☁️
+39°F
29 January
🌨️
+33°F
30 January
☀️
+31°F
31 January
☁️
+37°F
In January 2023 Washington had 7 sunny days, 15 cloudy days, and 6 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +41°F, with an absolute maximum of +63°F and a minimum of +28°F. The average humidity was 63%, with a maximum of 95% and a minimum of 27%. The average wind speed was 4 m/s, with a maximum of 12 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?

Climate Change Over the Years

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

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

The average temperature was the lowest in 1982 (+37°F) and the highest in 2023 (+53°F). The driest year was 1981 with only 6 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 1998 with 357 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Washington in January:

Is January a good time to visit Washington?

It’s always a good time to visit Washington, 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 Washington in January?

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

Is Washington rainy in January?

Washington is often rainy in January. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Washington in January?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Washington 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 Washington

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Washington, 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.