Minneapolis, MN weather in January
January in Minneapolis: very cold and snowy. Highs 24°F, lows 9°F, about 10 days with rain or snow and about 10.1 in of snow. This is the depth of winter in Minneapolis. Pack for serious cold.
- Normal high
- 24°F
- Normal low
- 9°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 0.9 in total
- Snowfall
- 10.1 in
- snow on the ground 26 days
How January changes from start to finish
| January 1 | January 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 25°F | 24°F |
| Normal low | 11°F | 9°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 31% | 30% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:51 am / 4:41 pm | 7:33 am / 5:19 pm |
| Daylight | 8.8 h | 9.8 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
- 6 am13°Fdew point 8°F
- 9 am14°Fdew point 8°F
- Noon19°Fdew point 10°F
- 3 pm21°Fdew point 11°F
- 6 pm19°Fdew point 11°F
- 9 pm17°Fdew point 10°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Minneapolis/St Paul Airport (7 mi away); average wind 9 mph; clear or few clouds in 31% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 59%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F0 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 snow10 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in3 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below31 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more26 of 31
Average days per January, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain and snow in January
Normal precipitation is 0.9 in; a dry January brings about 0.4 in and a wet one about 1.2 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare. Normal snowfall is 10.1 in, with about 3 days of an inch or more.
How January varies from year to year
- Warmest January, 1991-20202006: average high 34°F
- Coolest January1994: average high 13°F
- Wettest January1999: 2.7 in
- Driest January2008: 0.1 in
- Highest reading54°F (January 8, 2003)
- Lowest reading-28°F (January 30, 2019)
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 | 29°F | 24°F | 29°F |
| Normal low | 15°F | 9°F | 13°F |
| Wet days | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylight | 8.8 h | 9.2 h | 10.4 h |
Highs change by -5°F from December and +5°F into February.
Nearby alternatives in January
- Warmer: Cedar Rapids, IA221 mi · high 30°F · 9 wet days
- Cooler: Fargo, ND214 mi · high 18°F · 9 wet days
How Minneapolis ranks in January
- Normal high368th warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 3 in Minnesota
- Wet days190th driest of 378
- Comfortable days302nd most of 339
What to pack for Minneapolis in January
- A warm jacket – lows near 9°F, highs near 24°F
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain or snow on about 10 days
- Waterproof boots – snow on the ground on about 26 days
- A hat and gloves – about 31 freezing nights
Heating and cooling
January has 1513 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 18% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Minneapolis in January?
The normal high is 24°F and the normal low is 9°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was -28°F (January 30, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Minneapolis in January?
About 10 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.9 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 1999 (2.7 in); the driest was in 2008 (0.2 in).
Does it snow in Minneapolis in January?
Yes. Normal snowfall in January is 10.1 in, and snow covers the ground on about 26 days.
Is January a good time to visit Minneapolis?
January ranks 12th of 12 months on our comfort score for Minneapolis (24 out of 100). It has almost no comfortable days. The best months are May and September.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snow depth, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Minneapolis/St Paul Airport (USW00014922), 6.9 mi SSE of the city center, 872 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall: New Hope (USC00215838), 6.0 mi WNW of the city center, 910 ft (80 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Lower St Anthony Falls (USC00214884), 0.8 mi E of the city center, 754 ft (76 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (726580-14922), 6.8 mi SSE of the city center, 835 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.