Riverside, CA weather in January
Riverside is mild and mostly dry in January: highs average 68°F and nights drop to about 44°F. Expect about 5 wet days. It is one of the coolest months in Riverside. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 68°F
- Normal low
- 44°F
- Wet days
- 5
- 2.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How January changes from start to finish
| January 1 | January 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 67°F | 68°F |
| Normal low | 43°F | 44°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 17% | 17% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:54 am / 4:51 pm | 6:47 am / 5:18 pm |
| Daylight | 9.9 h | 10.5 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical January day
- 6 am43°Fdew point 34°F
- 9 am51°Fdew point 36°F
- Noon63°Fdew point 34°F
- 3 pm65°Fdew point 33°F
- 6 pm56°Fdew point 36°F
- 9 pm50°Fdew point 36°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from March AFB (9 mi away); average wind 5 mph; clear or few clouds in 58% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 35%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F17 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow5 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below1 of 31
Average days per January, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in January
Normal precipitation is 2.2 in; a dry January brings about 0.3 in and a wet one about 3.4 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.
How January varies from year to year
- Warmest January, 1991-20202003: average high 77°F
- Coolest January2017: average high 62°F
- Wettest January1993: 9.1 in
- Driest January2003: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading101°F (January 27, 2003)
- Lowest reading24°F (January 17, 2007)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
January compared with December and February
| December | January | February | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 67°F | 68°F | 68°F |
| Normal low | 43°F | 44°F | 45°F |
| Wet days | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Comfortable days | 17 | 17 | 13 |
| Daylight | 9.9 h | 10.2 h | 11.0 h |
Highs change by +1°F from December and 0°F into February.
Nearby alternatives in January
- Cooler: Big Bear Lake, CA34 mi · high 46°F · 7 wet days
How Riverside ranks in January
- Normal high47th warmest of 378 cities; 17th of 60 in California
- Wet days47th driest of 378
- Comfortable days23rd most of 339
Frost in January
The last spring frost typically comes around Jan 9; in 1 year in 10 it comes after Feb 21. All frost dates for Riverside.
Heating and cooling
January has 296 heating degree days and 6 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 9% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Riverside in January?
The normal high is 68°F and the normal low is 44°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was 24°F (most recently on January 17, 2007).
Does it rain a lot in Riverside in January?
About 5 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.2 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 1993 (9.1 in); the driest was in 2003, with no measurable precipitation.
Is January a good time to visit Riverside?
January ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for Riverside (67 out of 100). It has about 17 comfortable days. The best months are March, April and May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature and frost dates: Riverside Muni Airport (USW00003171), 2.4 mi W of the city center, 805 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Rain, snowfall and snow depth: Riverside Fire Stn 3 (USC00047470), 0.5 mi ESE of the city center, 840 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: March AFB (USW00023119), 9.2 mi ESE of the city center, 1,516 ft (687 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: March Air Reserve Base (722860-23119), 9.2 mi ESE of the city center, 1,536 ft (707 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.