January is one of the cooler months of the year in Lahaul and Spiti, with average highs near -0.3°C and lows around -23.7°C (mean -12°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 40 mm of rainfall and 71% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Lahaul and Spiti. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Lahaul and Spiti was 2010 — when the month averaged -7.8°C — while the coldest was 1989 at -16.9°C. Typical January days reach -0.3°C with nights near -23.7°C. The long-term trend is cooling, about 0.3°C per decade.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -12.1°C | -11.5°C | -11.4°C | -12.7°C | -12.7°C | -0.6°C |
| Avg High | -0.6°C | 0.3°C | 0.6°C | -1.0°C | -1.3°C | -0.7°C |
| Avg Low | -23.5°C | -23.4°C | -23.3°C | -24.3°C | -24.2°C | -0.7°C |
| Avg Rain | 28 mm | 25 mm | 31 mm | 50 mm | 77 mm | +50 mm |
January temperatures in Lahaul and Spiti have stayed relatively stable across the record.
January has ranged from a record low of -30.8°C (1989) to a record high of 3.8°C (1999).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 40 mm, with a wettest year of 182 mm.
A quieter season to visit Lahaul and Spiti
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of June and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Lahaul and Spiti. That said, January — with days averaging -0.3°C and nights around -23.7°C (mean -12°C) and moderate rainfall (40 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | High | Low | Avg | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -1.4°C | -24.7°C | -13.0°C | 13 mm | 70% | 1.6 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2024 | 1.3°C | -17.0°C | -7.9°C | 17 mm | 62% | 1.5 m/s | 4 |
| 2023 | -0.9°C | -23.3°C | -12.1°C | 114 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2022 | -3.0°C | -26.3°C | -14.7°C | 154 mm | 85% | 1.5 m/s | 3 |
| 2021 | -1.0°C | -24.3°C | -12.7°C | 54 mm | 66% | 1.7 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2020 | -2.6°C | -29.4°C | -16.0°C | 111 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2019 | -2.4°C | -28.6°C | -15.5°C | 102 mm | 85% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2018 | 2.6°C | -21.3°C | -9.3°C | 9 mm | 56% | 1.5 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2017 🌧️ | -3.6°C | -24.2°C | -13.9°C | 182 mm | 90% | 1.7 m/s | 1.9 |
| 2016 | -0.7°C | -24.0°C | -12.3°C | 29 mm | 75% | 1.5 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2015 | 3.4°C | -21.0°C | -8.8°C | 21 mm | 71% | 1.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2014 | -2.0°C | -23.7°C | -12.9°C | 49 mm | 76% | 1.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2013 | -1.1°C | -26.5°C | -13.8°C | 40 mm | 75% | 1.7 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2012 | -4.6°C | -28.4°C | -16.5°C | 45 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2011 | -3.4°C | -28.5°C | -16.0°C | 9 mm | 70% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2010 🔥 | 1.5°C | -17.1°C | -7.8°C | 11 mm | 50% | 1.5 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2009 | 0.3°C | -20.2°C | -10.0°C | 37 mm | 74% | 1.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2008 | -3.8°C | -28.2°C | -16.0°C | 35 mm | 81% | 1.9 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2007 | 1.7°C | -23.1°C | -10.7°C | 2 mm | 60% | 1.6 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2006 | 1.1°C | -23.8°C | -11.4°C | 30 mm | 74% | 2 m/s | 2 |
| 2005 | -2.3°C | -23.5°C | -12.9°C | 57 mm | 76% | 1.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2004 | 0.6°C | -27.1°C | -13.2°C | 55 mm | 77% | 1.5 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2003 | 3.5°C | -19.9°C | -8.2°C | 33 mm | 50% | 1.5 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2002 | 2.7°C | -21.6°C | -9.4°C | 10 mm | 59% | 1.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2001 | 0.4°C | -20.0°C | -9.8°C | 12 mm | 53% | 1.7 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2000 | 1.6°C | -25.4°C | -11.9°C | 43 mm | 69% | 1.8 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1999 | 3.8°C | -22.0°C | -9.1°C | 44 mm | 72% | 1.8 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1998 | -0.8°C | -19.9°C | -10.4°C | 2 mm | 69% | 1.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1997 | 1.5°C | -24.6°C | -11.6°C | 24 mm | 59% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1996 | -1.3°C | -24.1°C | -12.7°C | 41 mm | 73% | 1.7 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1995 | -3.7°C | -29.3°C | -16.5°C | 40 mm | 76% | 1.5 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1994 | -1.0°C | -24.3°C | -12.7°C | 35 mm | 78% | 1.6 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1993 | 0.2°C | -23.0°C | -11.4°C | 20 mm | 70% | 1.9 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1992 | 0.5°C | -23.4°C | -11.4°C | 31 mm | 75% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1991 | 2.1°C | -19.3°C | -8.6°C | 2 mm | 67% | 1.4 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1990 | 2.0°C | -23.7°C | -10.8°C | 14 mm | 73% | 1.5 m/s | 1.9 |
| 1989 ❄️ | -3.0°C | -30.8°C | -16.9°C | 34 mm | 67% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1988 | 1.5°C | -20.0°C | -9.3°C | 15 mm | 62% | 1.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1987 | 0.4°C | -22.2°C | -10.9°C | 34 mm | 65% | 1.4 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1986 | -0.7°C | -22.1°C | -11.4°C | 3 mm | 62% | 1.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1985 | -2.5°C | -25.5°C | -14.0°C | 44 mm | 78% | 1.6 m/s | 2 |
| 1984 | -2.1°C | -19.6°C | -10.8°C | 3 mm | 61% | 1.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1983 | 0.9°C | -23.9°C | -11.5°C | 11 mm | 67% | 1.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 2.5°C | -19.0°C | -8.2°C | 20 mm | 71% | 1.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 | -2.4°C | -28.6°C | -15.5°C | 86 mm | 80% | 1.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around -0.3°C with lows near -23.7°C (mean -12°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 40 mm of rainfall in Lahaul and Spiti, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 182 mm in 2017.
The hottest January reached 3.8°C in 1999. The coldest dipped to -30.8°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have fallen by about 0.1°C. Daytime highs moved from -0.7°C to -1°C and overnight lows from -23.3°C to -23.1°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Lahaul and Spiti and one of the drier months, so plan for around -0.3°C daytime highs and -23.7°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Lahaul and Spiti, averaging -12°C.
For January in Lahaul and Spiti, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of -0.3°C and lows of -23.7°C.
Relative humidity in January averages 71% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in January is 1.6 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 2 m/s (2006).
The wettest January on record was 2017 with 182 mm. On average, January sees 40 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 Lahaul and Spiti 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.
