Climateby Month

Santa Clara, CA weather in January

NOAA 1991-2020 normals and daily records · Santa Clara all year

January in Santa Clara: cool, with some rain. Highs 59°F, lows 42°F, rain on about 9 days. It is one of the coolest months in Santa Clara.

Normal high
59°F
Normal low
42°F
Wet days
9
2.8 in total
Muggy days
0
dew point 65°F+

How January changes from start to finish

Normal values at the start and end of January
January 1January 31
Normal high58°F60°F
Normal low42°F43°F
Chance of a wet day30%32%
Sunrise / sunset7:22 am / 5:00 pm7:11 am / 5:30 pm
Daylight9.6 h10.3 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

  1. 6 am47°Fdew point 43°F
  2. 9 am50°Fdew point 44°F
  3. Noon53°Fdew point 45°F
  4. 3 pm55°Fdew point 45°F
  5. 6 pm53°Fdew point 45°F
  6. 9 pm51°Fdew point 45°F

NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from San Francisco Intl Airport (29 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 29% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 57%.

What kind of days to expect

  • Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F5 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 snow9 of 31
  • Notable rainat least 0.10 in5 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 2.8 in; a dry January brings about 0.9 in and a wet one about 4.5 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more. Snow is very rare.

How January varies from year to year

  • Warmest January, 1991-20202014: average high 66°F
  • Coolest January2008: average high 55°F
  • Wettest January2017: 5.6 in
  • Driest January2015: 0.01 in
  • Highest reading74°F (January 22, 2014)
  • Lowest reading27°F (January 15, 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

DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Normal high59°F59°F62°F
Normal low42°F42°F45°F
Wet days10910
Comfortable days458
Daylight9.6 h9.9 h10.8 h

Highs change by 0°F from December and +3°F into February.

Nearby alternatives in January

How Santa Clara ranks in January

  • Normal high109th warmest of 378 cities; 34th of 60 in California
  • Wet days176th driest of 378
  • Comfortable days124th most of 339

What to pack for Santa Clara in January

  • A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 9 days

Frost in January

The last spring frost typically comes around Jan 12; in 1 year in 10 it comes after Feb 14. All frost dates for Santa Clara.

Heating and cooling

January has 443 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 16% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.

Questions

How cold is Santa Clara in January?

The normal high is 59°F and the normal low is 42°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was 27°F (January 15, 2007).

Does it rain a lot in Santa Clara in January?

About 9 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.8 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 2017 (5.6 in); the driest was in 2015 (0.01 in).

Is January a good time to visit Santa Clara?

January ranks 11th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Clara (50 out of 100). It has about 5 comfortable days. The best months are May, June and July.

Where the numbers come from

  • Temperature: Moffett Federal Airfield (USW00023244), 6.2 mi NW of the city center, 39 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Rain and frost dates: San Jose (USW00023293), 1.8 mi ENE of the city center, 51 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Snowfall and snow depth: San Jose (USC00047821), 2.9 mi E of the city center, 67 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: San Francisco Intl Airport (USW00023234), 29 mi NW of the city center, 8 ft (64 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Daily humidity and wind: N Y. Mineta Sn Jo Intl Apt (724945-23293), 1.8 mi E of the city center, 49 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.