January is one of the cooler months of the year in Leh, with average highs near -4°C and lows around -29.5°C (mean -16.7°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 20 mm of rainfall and 64% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Leh. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Leh was 2003 — when the month averaged -10.6°C — while the coldest was 2019 at -23°C. Typical January days reach -4°C with nights near -29.5°C. The long-term trend is cooling, about 0.8°C per decade.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -16.8°C | -15.2°C | -15.9°C | -17.5°C | -19.7°C | -2.9°C |
| Avg High | -4.8°C | -3.3°C | -3.4°C | -4.3°C | -4.8°C | 0°C |
| Avg Low | -28.9°C | -27.0°C | -28.4°C | -30.7°C | -34.5°C | -5.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 12 mm | 11 mm | 15 mm | 26 mm | 46 mm | +33 mm |
January temperatures in Leh have fallen by about 3.4°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -39.4°C (2020) to a record high of 0.8°C (2003).
Rainfall in January is about average for rainfall, averaging 20 mm, with a wettest year of 108 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs fell about 0.1°C per decade while lows fell 1.5°C per decade, widening the gap between day and night.
A quieter season to visit Leh
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Leh. That said, January — with days averaging -4°C and nights around -29.5°C (mean -16.7°C) and low rainfall (20 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 | -5.2°C | -35.1°C | -20.2°C | 8 mm | 75% | 2 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2024 | -1.7°C | -20.9°C | -11.3°C | 8 mm | 51% | 1.8 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2023 | -4.6°C | -35.5°C | -20.1°C | 65 mm | 72% | 2.2 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2022 | -6.8°C | -39.1°C | -22.9°C | 80 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2021 | -5.6°C | -37.0°C | -21.3°C | 46 mm | 77% | 1.7 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2020 | -5.0°C | -39.4°C | -22.2°C | 68 mm | 83% | 1.8 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2019 ❄️ | -6.8°C | -39.3°C | -23.0°C | 60 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2018 | -2.9°C | -31.3°C | -17.1°C | 3 mm | 63% | 2.3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2017 🌧️ | -4.7°C | -38.0°C | -21.4°C | 108 mm | 77% | 2 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2016 | -6.4°C | -31.1°C | -18.8°C | 14 mm | 76% | 1.6 m/s | 3 |
| 2015 | 0.2°C | -22.6°C | -11.2°C | 4 mm | 48% | 2.3 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2014 | -3.3°C | -25.9°C | -14.6°C | 17 mm | 62% | 1.9 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2013 | -2.6°C | -30.4°C | -16.5°C | 17 mm | 63% | 2.1 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2012 | -7.2°C | -36.6°C | -21.9°C | 21 mm | 72% | 2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2011 | -7.0°C | -29.6°C | -18.3°C | 10 mm | 66% | 1.9 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2010 | -2.6°C | -22.4°C | -12.5°C | 7 mm | 50% | 2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2009 | -3.6°C | -28.4°C | -16.0°C | 23 mm | 70% | 2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2008 | -5.3°C | -34.5°C | -19.9°C | 21 mm | 67% | 2.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2007 | -3.6°C | -26.4°C | -15.0°C | 1 mm | 56% | 2 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2006 | -4.7°C | -31.2°C | -18.0°C | 32 mm | 75% | 2.7 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2005 | -6.2°C | -32.8°C | -19.5°C | 19 mm | 69% | 2.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2004 | -5.0°C | -32.2°C | -18.6°C | 17 mm | 75% | 1.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2003 🔥 | 0.8°C | -22.0°C | -10.6°C | 7 mm | 39% | 2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2002 | -0.4°C | -24.5°C | -12.4°C | 6 mm | 44% | 2 m/s | 3 |
| 2001 | -3.5°C | -25.9°C | -14.7°C | 6 mm | 41% | 2.4 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2000 | -2.2°C | -25.7°C | -13.9°C | 14 mm | 51% | 2.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1999 | 0.2°C | -25.5°C | -12.7°C | 18 mm | 52% | 2.2 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1998 | -3.6°C | -25.0°C | -14.3°C | 3 mm | 56% | 2.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1997 | -2.0°C | -25.2°C | -13.6°C | 8 mm | 50% | 1.9 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1996 | -6.8°C | -28.9°C | -17.8°C | 12 mm | 64% | 2.5 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1995 | -7.9°C | -36.4°C | -22.2°C | 12 mm | 83% | 1.4 m/s | 3.4 |
| 1994 | -2.5°C | -25.5°C | -14.0°C | 18 mm | 59% | 2.5 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1993 | -4.0°C | -26.5°C | -15.3°C | 7 mm | 55% | 2.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1992 | -2.8°C | -25.8°C | -14.3°C | 17 mm | 62% | 2.3 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1991 | -1.3°C | -22.8°C | -12.1°C | 2 mm | 49% | 2.1 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1990 | -2.2°C | -28.5°C | -15.3°C | 15 mm | 74% | 2.5 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1989 | -6.3°C | -29.1°C | -17.7°C | 8 mm | 59% | 2.5 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1988 | -0.8°C | -24.4°C | -12.6°C | 12 mm | 61% | 2.3 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1987 | -8.0°C | -35.0°C | -21.5°C | 9 mm | 81% | 1.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1986 | -7.7°C | -34.4°C | -21.0°C | 2 mm | 76% | 1.8 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1985 | -4.5°C | -27.1°C | -15.8°C | 17 mm | 67% | 1.9 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1984 | -5.0°C | -25.7°C | -15.4°C | 4 mm | 51% | 2.5 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1983 | -2.5°C | -25.9°C | -14.2°C | 6 mm | 59% | 2.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | -2.5°C | -25.9°C | -14.2°C | 15 mm | 60% | 2.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | -5.9°C | -32.6°C | -19.2°C | 39 mm | 70% | 1.9 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around -4°C with lows near -29.5°C (mean -16.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 20 mm of rainfall in Leh, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 108 mm in 2017.
The hottest January reached 0.8°C in 2003. The coldest dipped to -39.4°C in 2020.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have fallen by about 3.4°C. Daytime highs moved from -4.1°C to -4.8°C and overnight lows from -27.4°C to -33.5°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Leh and about average for rainfall, so plan for around -4°C daytime highs and -29.5°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Leh, averaging -16.7°C.
For January in Leh, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of -4°C and lows of -29.5°C.
Relative humidity in January averages 64% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in January is 2.1 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 2.7 m/s (1993).
The wettest January on record was 2017 with 108 mm. On average, January sees 20 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 Leh 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.
