Climateby Month

Baton Rouge, LA weather in January

NOAA 1991-2020 normals and daily records · Baton Rouge all year

Expect cool weather with some rain in Baton Rouge in January, with highs near 62°F and lows near 42°F. Rain falls on about 10 days. It is one of the coolest months in Baton Rouge.

Normal high
62°F
Normal low
42°F
Wet days
10
6.4 in total
Muggy days
2
dew point 65°F+

How January changes from start to finish

Normal values at the start and end of January
January 1January 31
Normal high62°F64°F
Normal low42°F43°F
Chance of a wet day33%32%
Sunrise / sunset7:01 am / 5:14 pm6:56 am / 5:39 pm
Daylight10.2 h10.7 h

Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).

A typical January day

  1. 6 am47°Fdew point 43°F
  2. 9 am51°Fdew point 44°F
  3. Noon58°Fdew point 44°F
  4. 3 pm60°Fdew point 44°F
  5. 6 pm56°Fdew point 44°F
  6. 9 pm52°Fdew point 44°F

NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Lafayette Rgnl Airport (53 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 51% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 45%.

What kind of days to expect

  • Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
  • Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
  • Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more2 of 31
  • Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow10 of 31
  • Notable rainat least 0.10 in7 of 31
  • Freezing nightslow 32°F or below7 of 31

Average days per January, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.

Rain in January

Normal precipitation is 6.4 in; a dry January brings about 3.8 in and a wet one about 7.7 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 4 days bring half an inch or more, and about 2 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.

How January varies from year to year

  • Warmest January, 1991-20202006: average high 70°F
  • Coolest January2014: average high 57°F
  • Wettest January1998: 14.9 in
  • Driest January2003: 0.5 in
  • Highest reading84°F (January 31, 2002)
  • Lowest reading14°F (January 17, 2018)

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 high64°F62°F67°F
Normal low43°F42°F45°F
Wet days10109
Comfortable days101012
Daylight10.2 h10.4 h11.1 h

Highs change by -2°F from December and +5°F into February.

How Baton Rouge ranks in January

  • Normal high88th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 5 in Louisiana
  • Wet days205th driest of 378
  • Comfortable days72nd most of 339

What to pack for Baton Rouge in January

  • A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days

Heating and cooling

January has 418 heating degree days and 13 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 10% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.

Questions

How cold is Baton Rouge in January?

The normal high is 62°F and the normal low is 42°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was 14°F (January 17, 2018).

Does it rain a lot in Baton Rouge in January?

About 10 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 6.4 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 1998 (14.9 in); the driest was in 2003 (0.5 in).

Is January a good time to visit Baton Rouge?

January ranks 6th of 12 months on our comfort score for Baton Rouge (56 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days. The best months are March, April and November.

Where the numbers come from

  • Temperature, rain and frost dates: Baton Rouge Ryan Airport (USW00013970), 6.0 mi N of the city center, 64 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Snowfall and snow depth: Baton Rouge Sherwood (USC00160558), 6.4 mi E of the city center, 55 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Lafayette Rgnl Airport (USW00013976), 53 mi WSW of the city center, 38 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Daily humidity and wind: Lafayette Regional Airport (722405-13976), 53 mi WSW of the city center, 35 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.