January is one of the cooler months of the year in Penzance, with average highs near 10°C and lows around 8.3°C (mean 9.2°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 109 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Penzance. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Penzance was 2007 — when the month averaged 10.4°C — while the coldest was 1987 at 6.3°C. Typical January days reach 10°C with nights near 8.3°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Penzance, averaging 109 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1988 with 202 mm, while the driest was 1992 at 31 mm.
Relative humidity in Penzance during January averages 83%. The most humid January was 1982 at 88%, and the least humid was 1984 at 78%.
January receives about 0.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Penzance. The sunniest Januarys were 1992, 2003 and 2010, among others at 1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1995, 1996 and 2002, among others at 0.7.
Average wind speed in Penzance during January is 7.8 m/s. The windiest January was 1984 at 10 m/s, while the calmest was 2022 at 5.7 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 8.7°C | 9.1°C | 9.5°C | 9.2°C | 9.4°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg High | 9.6°C | 10.0°C | 10.2°C | 10.1°C | 10.2°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg Low | 7.7°C | 8.2°C | 8.7°C | 8.4°C | 8.6°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Rain | 112 mm | 118 mm | 96 mm | 113 mm | 102 mm | -10 mm |
January temperatures in Penzance have risen by about 0.6°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -2.1°C (1987) to a record high of 13.3°C (2007).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 109 mm, with a wettest year of 202 mm.
A quieter season to visit Penzance
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Penzance. That said, January — with days averaging 10°C and nights around 8.3°C (mean 9.2°C) and higher rainfall (109 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 | 10.5°C | 9.5°C | 8.6°C | 13.1°C | 6.3°C | 115 mm | 80% | 7.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2024 | 9.9°C | 9.1°C | 8.3°C | 13.3°C | 5.3°C | 82 mm | 81% | 7.7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2023 | 10.5°C | 9.6°C | 8.7°C | 12.8°C | 5.1°C | 135 mm | 81% | 7.4 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2022 | 10.6°C | 9.9°C | 9.1°C | 13.0°C | 6.6°C | 44 mm | 82% | 5.7 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2021 | 9.3°C | 8.5°C | 7.7°C | 11.8°C | 5.2°C | 142 mm | 83% | 7.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2020 | 10.6°C | 9.8°C | 9.0°C | 13.1°C | 6.5°C | 97 mm | 83% | 7.4 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2019 | 10.0°C | 9.3°C | 8.6°C | 11.4°C | 5.6°C | 87 mm | 81% | 6.4 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2018 | 10.9°C | 9.9°C | 8.9°C | 13.3°C | 6.1°C | 129 mm | 84% | 9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 10.2°C | 9.4°C | 8.6°C | 11.8°C | 6.2°C | 67 mm | 81% | 6.9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 11.0°C | 10.1°C | 9.3°C | 12.4°C | 7.3°C | 188 mm | 82% | 9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2015 | 10.3°C | 9.4°C | 8.4°C | 12.6°C | 5.8°C | 122 mm | 80% | 8.5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2014 | 10.5°C | 9.7°C | 8.8°C | 12.2°C | 6.9°C | 143 mm | 82% | 8.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2013 | 10.0°C | 9.1°C | 8.3°C | 12.3°C | 3.9°C | 128 mm | 84% | 7.1 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2012 | 10.6°C | 10.0°C | 9.4°C | 12.6°C | 6.9°C | 74 mm | 83% | 7.4 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2011 | 8.9°C | 8.1°C | 7.3°C | 11.4°C | 3.2°C | 102 mm | 84% | 6.6 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2010 | 8.2°C | 7.3°C | 6.4°C | 10.9°C | 3.1°C | 92 mm | 80% | 6.4 m/s | 1 |
| 2009 | 9.4°C | 8.6°C | 7.7°C | 11.5°C | 3.0°C | 139 mm | 82% | 7.7 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2008 | 11.0°C | 10.2°C | 9.4°C | 12.3°C | 7.7°C | 107 mm | 83% | 8.5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2007 🔥 | 11.2°C | 10.4°C | 9.6°C | 13.3°C | 5.7°C | 84 mm | 82% | 8.9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2006 | 9.4°C | 8.7°C | 8.0°C | 11.5°C | 4.7°C | 50 mm | 83% | 7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2005 | 10.9°C | 10.1°C | 9.3°C | 12.9°C | 6.2°C | 64 mm | 82% | 9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2004 | 10.6°C | 9.8°C | 9.0°C | 12.2°C | 5.2°C | 124 mm | 82% | 8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2003 | 9.8°C | 9.0°C | 8.2°C | 13.0°C | 3.9°C | 91 mm | 80% | 8.7 m/s | 1 |
| 2002 | 11.0°C | 10.2°C | 9.5°C | 13.1°C | 6.5°C | 123 mm | 85% | 8.1 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2001 | 9.5°C | 8.7°C | 8.0°C | 12.8°C | 5.5°C | 128 mm | 81% | 7.7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2000 | 9.4°C | 8.8°C | 8.1°C | 12.4°C | 5.9°C | 49 mm | 82% | 6.9 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1999 | 10.7°C | 9.8°C | 8.9°C | 13.0°C | 5.4°C | 131 mm | 82% | 8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1998 | 10.6°C | 9.6°C | 8.6°C | 12.9°C | 5.4°C | 126 mm | 82% | 9.4 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1997 | 7.5°C | 6.8°C | 6.1°C | 10.7°C | 0.5°C | 42 mm | 88% | 6.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1996 | 10.7°C | 9.7°C | 8.7°C | 12.7°C | 1.7°C | 164 mm | 88% | 8.5 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1995 | 10.7°C | 9.7°C | 8.6°C | 12.3°C | 6.3°C | 172 mm | 83% | 9.1 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1994 | 9.9°C | 9.1°C | 8.3°C | 11.7°C | 5.9°C | 125 mm | 84% | 8.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1993 | 11.0°C | 10.1°C | 9.1°C | 12.5°C | 6.6°C | 120 mm | 85% | 8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1992 | 8.9°C | 8.2°C | 7.5°C | 11.5°C | 5.6°C | 31 mm | 83% | 6.1 m/s | 1 |
| 1991 | 9.1°C | 8.2°C | 7.2°C | 12.5°C | 3.6°C | 116 mm | 79% | 7.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1990 | 11.2°C | 10.3°C | 9.5°C | 12.5°C | 6.7°C | 158 mm | 85% | 8.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1989 | 10.8°C | 10.0°C | 9.2°C | 12.7°C | 7.5°C | 59 mm | 82% | 6.4 m/s | 1 |
| 1988 🌧️ | 10.7°C | 9.7°C | 8.7°C | 12.5°C | 7.0°C | 202 mm | 82% | 8.7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1987 ❄️ | 7.1°C | 6.3°C | 5.4°C | 11.9°C | -2.1°C | 41 mm | 81% | 7.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1986 | 9.6°C | 8.7°C | 7.8°C | 12.1°C | 4.9°C | 122 mm | 81% | 8.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1985 | 7.9°C | 6.8°C | 5.6°C | 11.3°C | 1.8°C | 100 mm | 81% | 6.7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1984 | 10.1°C | 8.9°C | 7.6°C | 12.7°C | 4.3°C | 186 mm | 78% | 10 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1983 | 10.4°C | 9.6°C | 8.7°C | 12.5°C | 5.7°C | 118 mm | 85% | 8.5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 9.6°C | 8.8°C | 8.0°C | 12.0°C | 3.3°C | 132 mm | 88% | 7.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 10.0°C | 9.2°C | 8.4°C | 11.4°C | 4.8°C | 52 mm | 82% | 7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 10°C with lows near 8.3°C (mean 9.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 109 mm of rainfall in Penzance, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 202 mm in 1988.
The hottest January reached 13.3°C in 2007. The coldest dipped to -2.1°C in 1987.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.6°C. Daytime highs moved from 9.6°C to 10.2°C and overnight lows from 7.7°C to 8.5°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Penzance and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 10°C daytime highs and 8.3°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 3rd coolest month in Penzance, averaging 9.2°C.
For January in Penzance, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 10°C and lows of 8.3°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 7.8 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 10 m/s (1984).
The wettest January on record was 1988 with 202 mm. On average, January sees 109 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 Penzance 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.
