Sacramento, CA weather in January
Sacramento is cool in January, with frequent rain: highs average 57°F and nights drop to about 41°F. Expect about 11 wet days. It is one of the coolest months in Sacramento.
- Normal high
- 57°F
- Normal low
- 41°F
- Wet days
- 11
- 3.9 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How January changes from start to finish
| January 1 | January 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 55°F | 59°F |
| Normal low | 40°F | 42°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 33% | 34% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:23 am / 4:55 pm | 7:12 am / 5:26 pm |
| Daylight | 9.5 h | 10.2 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 am42°Fdew point 39°F
- 9 am45°Fdew point 41°F
- Noon52°Fdew point 43°F
- 3 pm55°Fdew point 42°F
- 6 pm50°Fdew point 43°F
- 9 pm46°Fdew point 42°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Sacramento Executive Airport (5 mi away); average wind 5 mph; clear or few clouds in 55% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 41%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F3 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 snow11 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in7 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below2 of 31
Average days per January, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in January
Normal precipitation is 3.9 in; a dry January brings about 1.4 in and a wet one about 5.6 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring 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, 1991-20202014: average high 66°F
- Coolest January1992: average high 51°F
- Wettest January1995: 12.3 in
- Driest January2015: 0.01 in
- Highest reading79°F (January 24, 2014)
- Lowest reading26°F (January 14, 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 | 56°F | 57°F | 62°F |
| Normal low | 41°F | 41°F | 44°F |
| Wet days | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Comfortable days | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Daylight | 9.5 h | 9.8 h | 10.8 h |
Highs change by +1°F from December and +5°F into February.
Nearby alternatives in January
- Warmer: Salinas, CA132 mi · high 62°F · 9 wet days
- Drier: Reno, NV111 mi · high 48°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: South Lake Tahoe, CA85 mi · high 43°F · 10 wet days
How Sacramento ranks in January
- Normal high141st warmest of 378 cities; 50th of 60 in California
- Wet days264th driest of 378
- Comfortable days161st most of 339
What to pack for Sacramento in January
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 11 days
Frost in January
The last spring frost typically comes around Jan 12; in 1 year in 10 it comes after Feb 8. All frost dates for Sacramento.
Heating and cooling
January has 502 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 14% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Sacramento in January?
The normal high is 57°F and the normal low is 41°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was 26°F (January 14, 2007).
Does it rain a lot in Sacramento in January?
About 11 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.9 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 1995 (12.4 in); the driest was in 2015 (0.01 in).
Is January a good time to visit Sacramento?
January ranks 9th of 12 months on our comfort score for Sacramento (45 out of 100). It has about 3 comfortable days. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall and frost dates: Sacramento 5 Ese (USW00023271), 4.6 mi ESE of the city center, 38 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snow depth: Nicolaus #2 (USC00046194), 24 mi N of the city center, 43 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Sacramento Executive Airport (USW00023232), 5.2 mi S of the city center, 15 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Sacramento Executive Airport (724830-23232), 5.2 mi S of the city center, 19 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.