Denver Weather in January

January is the time of year when Denver, Colorado is most likely to have 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 cm) or more of snow laying around. Still on 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 weather for Denver. You can jump directly to data and descriptions for:

The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered in the Denver community of Stapleton.

Temperature

45 °F	January average high	7 °C
17 °F	January average low	-8 °C

In most years, Denver averages a daily maximum temperature for January that's between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 10 degrees Celsius). The minimum temperature usually falls between 13 and 21 °F (-10 to -6 °C).

The days warm just slightly during January in Denver. By the end of the month, the temperature has climbed only around 0.5 °F (0.3 °C) above what it was at the start.

12 days	50 °F maximum or above (10 °C)
17 days	20 °F minimum or below (-8 °C)

Denver averages 3 days in January when the thermometer reaches into the 60s °F (over 16 °C). 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 days.

Precipitation

0.5 inches	total January precipitation	12 millimetres
5 days	of rain or snowfall

Half the time, Denver receives 0.2 to 0.7 inches (6 to 18 mm) of precipitation in January. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter.

Snow

7.0 inches	total January snowfall	17.8 centimetres
5 days	with new snow

January's snowfall varies a lot from year to year in Denver. Between 3 and 9 inches (8 to 22 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 12 days this month. The snow normally accumulates to 5 inches (13 cm) or deeper on 3 days.

Sun

71 %	sunshine in January
10 days	with 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.