Denver Weather in January
While January is the midst of a long winter at Denver, Colorado most days this month, there's less than an inch (2.5 cm) of snow on the ground.
This page gives detailed information on the typical January temperature, precipitation, snow, sun, humidity, wind and storms for Denver. The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered in the Denver community of Stapleton.
Temperature
47 °F | January average high | 8 °C |
18 °F | January average low | -8 °C |
13 days | 50 °F max. or more (10 °C) |
17 days | 20 °F min. or less (-8 °C) |
Denver averages 4 days in January when the thermometer reaches into the 60s Fahrenheit (over 16 degrees Celsius). The temperatures climbs into the 70s °F (over 21 °C) once every few years. Typically on 5 days the mercury remains below freezing for the entire day.
Nearly every night in Denver during January is below freezing. The thermometer dips to 0 °F (-18 °C) or lower on an average of 2 nights.
Precipitation
0.5 in | total precipitation | 12 mm |
5 days | of rain or snowfall |
Half the time, Denver receives 0.2 to 0.6 inches (6 to 15 mm) of precipitation in January. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter.
Snow
6.4 in | total snowfall | 16 cm |
5 days | with new snow |
January's snowfall varies a lot from year to year in Denver. Between 3 and 8.4 inches (8 to 21 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.
Denver typically has at least an inch (2.5 cm) of snow on the ground for 10 days this month. The snow normally accumulates to 5 inches (13 cm) or deeper on 2 days.
Sun
71 % | sunshine |
10 days | clear skies |
The sun's rays reach the ground in Denver during 71 percent of daylight hours on average in January, for a total of 214 hours in the month. Typically on 10 days this month the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover.
Sunlight in January at Denver lasts for 9 hours and 44 minutes a day on average. The shortest day of the month is the 1st with 9 hours and 26 minutes of daylight. By the end of the month, the days have lengthened to 10:10 from sunrise to sunset. These durations can vary by a minute or two from year to year.
Humidity
55 % | January average humidity |
The relative humidity in Denver during January usually peaks at 63 percent in the early morning then drops to 40 percent by early afternoon.
Local Time | 2 am | 5 am | 8 am | 11 am | 2 pm | 5 pm | 8 pm | 11 pm |
Humidity % | 63 | 63 | 61 | 45 | 40 | 49 | 59 | 63 |
Wind
8.7 mph | January wind speed average | 14.0 kph |
January is an average month in Denver for wind speed.
Storms
2 days | snowfall of 1 inch (2.5 cm) or more |
0 days | with thunderstorms in January |
About once a decade, a January snowstorm blankets Denver with ten inches (25 cm) or more of snow in one day.
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.