January is one of the cooler months of the year in Salem, with average highs near 33.7°C and lows around 14.1°C (mean 23.9°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 12 mm of rainfall and 70% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Salem. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Salem was 1991 — when the month averaged 26.3°C — while the coldest was 2006 at 20.7°C. Typical January days reach 33.7°C with nights near 14.1°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 24.1°C | 23.4°C | 23.9°C | 24.0°C | 24.4°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg High | 33.8°C | 33.6°C | 33.7°C | 33.7°C | 33.6°C | -0.2°C |
| Avg Low | 14.4°C | 13.3°C | 14.0°C | 14.2°C | 15.2°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg Rain | 22 mm | 10 mm | 8 mm | 5 mm | 22 mm | +1 mm |
January temperatures in Salem have stayed relatively stable across the record.
January has ranged from a record low of 11.1°C (1992) to a record high of 37.4°C (1983).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 12 mm, with a wettest year of 84 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs fell about 0.1°C per decade while lows rose 0.2°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
One of the best times to visit Salem
January is one of the best times to visit Salem. Expect days averaging 33.7°C and nights around 14.1°C (mean 23.9°C) — cooler than Salem's yearly average — with low rainfall (12 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | High | Low | Avg | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32.9°C | 14.9°C | 23.9°C | 12 mm | 77% | 2.1 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2024 | 34.9°C | 16.7°C | 25.8°C | 21 mm | 70% | 2.1 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2023 | 32.6°C | 13.8°C | 23.2°C | 3 mm | 69% | 2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2022 | 32.9°C | 15.9°C | 24.4°C | 14 mm | 79% | 1.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2021 | 32.2°C | 14.8°C | 23.5°C | 82 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 4 |
| 2020 | 35.8°C | 15.0°C | 25.4°C | 3 mm | 70% | 2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2019 | 34.8°C | 13.2°C | 24.0°C | 0 mm | 60% | 2.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2018 | 34.3°C | 14.3°C | 24.3°C | 3 mm | 66% | 2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2017 | 34.8°C | 14.9°C | 24.9°C | 17 mm | 60% | 2.2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2016 | 34.4°C | 13.8°C | 24.1°C | 2 mm | 70% | 1.9 m/s | 5 |
| 2015 | 33.8°C | 13.2°C | 23.5°C | 4 mm | 67% | 2 m/s | 5 |
| 2014 | 34.0°C | 16.2°C | 25.1°C | 1 mm | 64% | 2.4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2013 | 34.4°C | 15.8°C | 25.1°C | 0 mm | 62% | 2.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2012 | 32.3°C | 12.6°C | 22.4°C | 3 mm | 71% | 1.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2011 | 30.3°C | 13.8°C | 22.1°C | 10 mm | 82% | 1.9 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2010 | 33.5°C | 14.6°C | 24.1°C | 7 mm | 71% | 2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2009 | 33.4°C | 13.5°C | 23.4°C | 8 mm | 76% | 1.9 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2008 | 32.9°C | 13.5°C | 23.2°C | 20 mm | 77% | 1.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2007 | 33.6°C | 13.9°C | 23.8°C | 3 mm | 69% | 2.2 m/s | 5 |
| 2006 ❄️ | 29.0°C | 12.4°C | 20.7°C | 14 mm | 81% | 1.7 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2005 | 33.9°C | 14.2°C | 24.1°C | 5 mm | 71% | 1.8 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2004 | 34.7°C | 14.3°C | 24.5°C | 7 mm | 66% | 2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2003 | 35.8°C | 16.3°C | 26.0°C | 0 mm | 61% | 2.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2002 | 35.8°C | 13.2°C | 24.5°C | 17 mm | 70% | 2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2001 | 34.0°C | 14.5°C | 24.3°C | 1 mm | 69% | 2.1 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2000 | 34.2°C | 14.3°C | 24.3°C | 8 mm | 69% | 2.2 m/s | 5 |
| 1999 | 33.1°C | 12.8°C | 22.9°C | 0 mm | 72% | 1.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1998 | 32.2°C | 14.9°C | 23.5°C | 1 mm | 79% | 1.7 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1997 | 31.0°C | 12.2°C | 21.6°C | 19 mm | 76% | 1.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1996 | 34.2°C | 14.1°C | 24.2°C | 1 mm | 61% | 2.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1995 | 33.2°C | 12.2°C | 22.7°C | 28 mm | 71% | 2.2 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1994 | 32.4°C | 13.8°C | 23.1°C | 5 mm | 80% | 1.9 m/s | 5 |
| 1993 | 34.7°C | 13.3°C | 24.0°C | 0 mm | 68% | 2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1992 | 33.0°C | 11.1°C | 22.1°C | 2 mm | 70% | 2.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1991 🔥 | 37.4°C | 15.2°C | 26.3°C | 1 mm | 61% | 2.3 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1990 | 34.6°C | 12.9°C | 23.8°C | 40 mm | 65% | 2.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1989 | 35.2°C | 14.6°C | 24.9°C | 2 mm | 60% | 2.3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1988 | 33.8°C | 13.7°C | 23.8°C | 0 mm | 71% | 2.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1987 | 34.2°C | 13.2°C | 23.7°C | 4 mm | 65% | 2.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1986 | 32.8°C | 15.0°C | 23.9°C | 37 mm | 73% | 2.1 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1985 🌧️ | 33.2°C | 14.3°C | 23.8°C | 84 mm | 75% | 1.9 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1984 | 30.8°C | 16.1°C | 23.4°C | 46 mm | 82% | 1.9 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1983 | 37.4°C | 13.4°C | 25.4°C | 0 mm | 60% | 2.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 31.8°C | 13.5°C | 22.6°C | 1 mm | 75% | 1.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 34.8°C | 15.4°C | 25.1°C | 20 mm | 67% | 2 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 33.7°C with lows near 14.1°C (mean 23.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 12 mm of rainfall in Salem, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 84 mm in 1985.
The hottest January reached 37.4°C in 1983. The coldest dipped to 11.1°C in 1992.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 33.6°C to 33.1°C and overnight lows from 14.5°C to 15.2°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Salem and one of the drier months, so plan for around 33.7°C daytime highs and 14.1°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 3rd coolest month in Salem, averaging 23.9°C.
For January in Salem, pack light, breathable clothing and sun protection, with typical highs of 33.7°C and lows of 14.1°C.
Relative humidity in January averages 70% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in January is 2 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 2.4 m/s (2003).
The wettest January on record was 1985 with 84 mm. On average, January sees 12 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 Salem 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.
