January is one of the cooler months of the year in Calgary, with average highs near -2.9°C and lows around -11.7°C (mean -7.3°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 16 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Calgary. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Calgary was 1981 — when the month averaged -2°C — while the coldest was 1982 at -17.2°C. Typical January days reach -2.9°C with nights near -11.7°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
January is one of the drier months in Calgary, averaging 16 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1982 with 45 mm, while the driest was 1986 at 5 mm.
Relative humidity in Calgary during January averages 83%. The most humid January was 1982 at 94%, and the least humid was 1987 at 72%.
January receives about 1.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Calgary. The sunniest Januarys were 2009, 2017 and 2023, among others at 1.3 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1984 at 0.9.
Average wind speed in Calgary during January is 1.7 m/s. The windiest Januarys were 2012, 2022 and 2025, among others at 2.2 m/s, while the calmest were 1995 and 1998 at 1.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -6.9°C | -9.0°C | -6.8°C | -6.8°C | -7.1°C | -0.2°C |
| Avg High | -2.5°C | -4.4°C | -2.3°C | -2.6°C | -2.8°C | -0.3°C |
| Avg Low | -11.2°C | -13.6°C | -11.2°C | -11.1°C | -11.3°C | -0.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 15 mm | 15 mm | 17 mm | 17 mm | 15 mm | 0 mm |
January temperatures in Calgary have risen by about 1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -39.5°C (2024) to a record high of 9.7°C (2024).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 16 mm, with a wettest year of 45 mm.
A quieter season to visit Calgary
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Calgary. That said, January — with days averaging -2.9°C and nights around -11.7°C (mean -7.3°C) and low rainfall (16 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -2.1°C | -5.9°C | -9.6°C | 5.5°C | -20.9°C | 11 mm | 79% | 2.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2024 | -5.3°C | -9.7°C | -14.1°C | 9.7°C | -39.5°C | 25 mm | 88% | 1.4 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2023 | -0.4°C | -4.4°C | -8.4°C | 6.3°C | -19.7°C | 14 mm | 82% | 1.8 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2022 | -2.9°C | -7.6°C | -12.3°C | 4.7°C | -31.2°C | 18 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2021 | -1.3°C | -5.6°C | -9.9°C | 2.9°C | -16.3°C | 7 mm | 85% | 1.7 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2020 | -5.0°C | -9.3°C | -13.5°C | 4.7°C | -30.3°C | 15 mm | 89% | 1.5 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2019 | 0.7°C | -3.8°C | -8.3°C | 5.3°C | -16.2°C | 12 mm | 77% | 1.8 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2018 | -3.1°C | -7.4°C | -11.8°C | 1.0°C | -28.2°C | 14 mm | 94% | 1.5 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2017 | -5.8°C | -10.2°C | -14.5°C | 2.6°C | -30.3°C | 13 mm | 89% | 1.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2016 | -1.9°C | -6.0°C | -10.1°C | 5.3°C | -21.1°C | 16 mm | 86% | 1.5 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2015 | -1.6°C | -5.7°C | -9.8°C | 8.0°C | -22.7°C | 21 mm | 83% | 2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2014 | -0.3°C | -4.9°C | -9.6°C | 8.1°C | -28.3°C | 19 mm | 78% | 2.1 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2013 | -2.6°C | -7.1°C | -11.6°C | 2.1°C | -21.3°C | 14 mm | 86% | 1.9 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2012 | -3.1°C | -7.0°C | -10.9°C | 5.6°C | -30.7°C | 14 mm | 74% | 2.2 m/s | 1 |
| 2011 | -5.7°C | -9.9°C | -14.2°C | 4.3°C | -26.3°C | 32 mm | 91% | 1.9 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2010 | -2.1°C | -6.2°C | -10.3°C | 4.1°C | -22.1°C | 11 mm | 89% | 1.4 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2009 | -2.9°C | -7.4°C | -12.0°C | 7.1°C | -30.4°C | 15 mm | 80% | 2.1 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2008 | -5.0°C | -10.2°C | -15.4°C | 0.8°C | -34.6°C | 20 mm | 87% | 1.7 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2007 | -1.5°C | -6.0°C | -10.5°C | 5.8°C | -23.2°C | 14 mm | 75% | 2.1 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2006 | 0.9°C | -3.0°C | -6.9°C | 5.0°C | -12.4°C | 18 mm | 83% | 1.5 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2005 | -4.5°C | -9.0°C | -13.4°C | 6.9°C | -34.4°C | 17 mm | 87% | 1.5 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2004 | -5.8°C | -9.9°C | -14.0°C | 4.3°C | -33.3°C | 23 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 1 |
| 2003 | -0.9°C | -5.6°C | -10.2°C | 6.4°C | -22.9°C | 15 mm | 80% | 1.6 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2002 | -1.9°C | -6.2°C | -10.5°C | 6.9°C | -24.2°C | 23 mm | 77% | 1.9 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2001 | 1.4°C | -2.9°C | -7.3°C | 4.4°C | -11.1°C | 10 mm | 74% | 1.7 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2000 | -2.8°C | -7.5°C | -12.2°C | 4.9°C | -21.2°C | 14 mm | 78% | 1.5 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1999 | -3.0°C | -7.6°C | -12.2°C | 3.8°C | -22.6°C | 13 mm | 85% | 1.8 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1998 | -6.7°C | -11.0°C | -15.3°C | 4.0°C | -31.1°C | 22 mm | 90% | 1.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1997 | -6.5°C | -11.5°C | -16.4°C | 2.6°C | -36.4°C | 19 mm | 92% | 1.6 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1996 | -10.3°C | -15.1°C | -20.0°C | 2.3°C | -33.6°C | 26 mm | 92% | 1.6 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1995 | -1.3°C | -6.0°C | -10.7°C | 3.4°C | -19.7°C | 8 mm | 81% | 1.3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1994 | -2.8°C | -7.5°C | -12.3°C | 3.6°C | -24.7°C | 19 mm | 91% | 1.4 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1993 | -6.7°C | -11.7°C | -16.8°C | 5.7°C | -30.3°C | 8 mm | 91% | 1.6 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1992 | 0.6°C | -3.3°C | -7.1°C | 6.6°C | -13.5°C | 10 mm | 76% | 1.8 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1991 | -5.5°C | -10.0°C | -14.5°C | 3.9°C | -28.1°C | 8 mm | 78% | 2 m/s | 1 |
| 1990 | -2.1°C | -6.2°C | -10.3°C | 4.3°C | -30.3°C | 12 mm | 73% | 1.9 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1989 | -4.0°C | -8.8°C | -13.7°C | 6.7°C | -33.1°C | 21 mm | 81% | 2.2 m/s | 1 |
| 1988 | -4.4°C | -8.7°C | -13.1°C | 5.6°C | -24.9°C | 6 mm | 77% | 1.7 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1987 | 0.7°C | -3.6°C | -8.0°C | 6.4°C | -16.4°C | 5 mm | 72% | 2.1 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1986 | 1.3°C | -2.8°C | -6.8°C | 6.3°C | -14.8°C | 5 mm | 76% | 1.7 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1985 | -2.6°C | -7.0°C | -11.3°C | 4.4°C | -24.8°C | 8 mm | 83% | 1.9 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1984 | -1.4°C | -5.2°C | -8.9°C | 6.2°C | -22.6°C | 17 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1983 | -1.9°C | -6.4°C | -11.0°C | 3.1°C | -23.5°C | 19 mm | 85% | 1.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 ❄️ 🌧️ | -12.4°C | -17.2°C | -22.0°C | 0.7°C | -33.1°C | 45 mm | 94% | 1.5 m/s | — |
| 1981 🔥 | 2.4°C | -2.0°C | -6.3°C | 9.6°C | -11.7°C | 10 mm | 75% | 1.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around -2.9°C with lows near -11.7°C (mean -7.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 16 mm of rainfall in Calgary, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 45 mm in 1982.
The hottest January reached 9.7°C in 2024. The coldest dipped to -39.5°C in 2024.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 1°C. Daytime highs moved from -3.2°C to -2.4°C and overnight lows from -11.9°C to -10.9°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Calgary and one of the drier months, so plan for around -2.9°C daytime highs and -11.7°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 2nd coolest month in Calgary, averaging -7.3°C.
For January in Calgary, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of -2.9°C and lows of -11.7°C.
Relative humidity in January averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 1.7 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 2.2 m/s (1989).
The wettest January on record was 1982 with 45 mm. On average, January sees 16 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Calgary behaves each January, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for January specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
