Anchorage Weather in January
Winter weather peaks in January at Anchorage, Alaska. This is the city's coldest month of the year.
This page gives detailed information on typical January temperature, precipitation, snow, sun, humidity, wind and storms for Anchorage. The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, located a few miles from downtown Anchorage.
Temperature
23 °F | January average high | -5 °C |
11 °F | January average low | -12 °C |
January is the coldest month overall for Anchorage, with the 7th to 16th being its chilliest days. They have daily highs averaging 22 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius) and the lows of 10 °F (-12 °C).
3 days | 40 °F max. or more (4 °C) |
22 days | 20 °F min. or less (-8 °C) |
Anchorage averages 24 days in January when the thermometer remains below freezing for the entire day. Temperatures above 50 °F (10 °C) are not expected here this month.
Nearly every night in Anchorage has freezing temperatures during January. The thermometer dips to 0 °F (-18 °C) or below on an average of 7 nights.
Precipitation
0.8 in | total precipitation | 19 mm |
8 days | of rain or snowfall |
Half the time, Anchorage receives 0.5 to 1.1 inches (12 to 28 mm) of precipitation in January. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter.
Snow
12.4 in | total snowfall | 31 cm |
9 days | with new snow |
January's snowfall varies a lot from year to year in Anchorage. Between 7 and 14.5 inches (18 to 37 cm) of fresh snow arrives in half the years. Less new snow lands in one out of four Januaries, while another twenty-five percent are snowier.
Anchorage typically has at least 5 inches (13 cm) of snow on the ground for 26 days this month. The snowpack normally builds up to 10 inches (25 cm) or deeper on 18 days.
Sun
34 % | sunshine |
7 days | clear skies |
The sun's rays reach the ground in Anchorage during 34 percent of daylight hours on average in January, for a total of 69 hours in the month. Typically on 7 days this month the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover.
Sunlight in January at Anchorage lasts for 6 hours and 34 minutes a day on average. The shortest day of the month is the 1st with 5 hours and 40 minutes of daylight. By the end of the month, the days have lengthened to 7:44 from sunrise to sunset. These durations can vary by a minute or three from year to year.
Humidity
73 % | January average humidity |
The relative humidity in Anchorage during December remains, on average, fairly steady throughout the day.
Local Time | 12 am | 3 am | 6 am | 9 am | 12 pm | 3 pm | 6 pm | 9 pm |
Humidity % | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 74 | 73 |
Wind
6.4 mph | January wind speed average | 10.3 kph |
January is less windy than most other months in Anchorage.
Storms
1 day | snowfall of 3 inches (8 cm) or more |
0 days | with thunderstorms in January |
Reference
The weather data here are long-term averages provided by the US National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Temperature and precipitation are 1991-2020 normals while humidity and thunderstorms are 1961-1990 normals.