Kilmarnock Weather in January (1981–2025)

📍 55.61°N, 4.50°W •
📊

January at a Glance in Kilmarnock

(1981–2025)
Avg High
🔥
5.2°C
Avg Low
❄️
1.8°C
Avg Temp
🌡️
3.5°C
Avg Rain
🌧️
124 mm
Avg Humidity
💧
94%
Avg Wind
🌬️
4.9 m/s
Avg Solar
☀️
0.5
kWh/m²/day
vs Annual
📈
-4.7°C
temp difference
❄️Cold afternoons🥶Freezing mornings☁️Cloudier skies🌧️Wet month💨Breezy💦Humid air

Kilmarnock January Weather Overview

January is one of the cooler months of the year in Kilmarnock, with average highs near 5.2°C and lows around 1.8°C (mean 3.5°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 124 mm of rainfall and 94% relative humidity across the period.

Kilmarnock January Temperature History (1981–2025)

Range

January is one of the cooler months of the year in Kilmarnock. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Kilmarnock was 1989 — when the month averaged 6.1°C — while the coldest was 1985 at -0.5°C. Typical January days reach 5.2°C with nights near 1.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.

1981–1985 vs 2021–2025

Avg Temp2.2°C→3.7°C+1.5°C
Max Temp4.0°C→5.4°C+1.4°C
Min Temp0.3°C→2.1°C+1.8°C

Trend (per decade)

Avg Temp+0.3°C/decade ↗
Max Temp+0.3°C/decade ↗
Min Temp+0.3°C/decade ↗

Distribution of Avg Temp

-1.0°C–1.0°C3 yr (7%)
1.0°C–3.0°C9 yr (20%)
3.0°C–5.0°C26 yr (58%)
5.0°C–7.0°C7 yr (16%)

Kilmarnock January Rainfall History (1981–2025)

Range

January is a relatively wet time of year in Kilmarnock, averaging 124 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2008 with 206 mm, while the driest was 1997 at 35 mm.

Kilmarnock January Humidity History (1981–2025)

Range

Relative humidity in Kilmarnock during January averages 94%. The most humid January was 1982 at 96%, and the least humid was 1993 at 91%.

Kilmarnock January Solar History (1981–2025)

Range

January receives about 0.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Kilmarnock. The sunniest Januarys were 2023, 2024 and 2025, among others at 0.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 2014, 2016 and 2020, among others at 0.4.

Kilmarnock January Wind History (1981–2025)

Range

Average wind speed in Kilmarnock during January is 4.9 m/s. The windiest January was 1993 at 7.2 m/s, while the calmest was 1997 at 3 m/s.

What January Feels Like in Kilmarnock

🌅
Freezing
Morning
🌞
Cold
Afternoon
🌆
Cold
Evening
Rain chanceHigh
Outdoor comfort★☆☆☆☆

How January Ranks in Kilmarnock

🥶1st coolest month of the year
🌧️3rd wettest month of the year
☀️11th sunniest month of the year

Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.

Explore Kilmarnock Weather by Month

Kilmarnock January Averages by Decade

Metric1980s1990s2000s2010s2020sChange
Avg Temp2.5°C3.5°C4.2°C3.2°C4.0°C+1.5°C
Avg High4.3°C5.2°C5.9°C4.9°C5.6°C+1.3°C
Avg Low0.9°C1.8°C2.5°C1.6°C2.4°C+1.5°C
Avg Rain125 mm133 mm132 mm120 mm104 mm-21 mm

Extreme January Records in Kilmarnock

🔥Warmest January11.3°C2015
🧊Coldest January-11.3°C1982
🌧️Wettest January206 mm2008
🏜️Driest January35 mm1997
🌬️Windiest January7.2 m/s1993

Key Insights for January

✅

January temperatures in Kilmarnock have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.

✅

January has ranged from a record low of -11.3°C (1982) to a record high of 11.3°C (2015).

✅

Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 124 mm, with a wettest year of 206 mm.

Is January a Good Time to Visit Kilmarnock?

A quieter season to visit Kilmarnock

If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Kilmarnock. That said, January — with days averaging 5.2°C and nights around 1.8°C (mean 3.5°C) and higher rainfall (124 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.

See Kilmarnock's complete weather history All 12 months side by side, 1981–2025 records, annual trends and long-term averages in one place. View full history →

Kilmarnock Weather in January — In Depth

☀️ January climate overview

January is one of the cooler months of the year in Kilmarnock, with average highs near 5.2°C and lows around 1.8°C (mean 3.5°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 124 mm of rainfall and 94% relative humidity across the period.

🌧️ Rain, humidity & wind in January

January averages 124 mm of rainfall in Kilmarnock, a relatively wet time of year compared with the rest of the year. The wettest January on record saw 206 mm (2008), and the driest just 35 mm (1997). Humidity sits around 94% and average wind speed is 4.9 m/s, with solar radiation averaging 0.5 kWh/m²/day.

📈 How January has changed

Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 4°C to 5.4°C and overnight lows from 0.3°C to 2.1°C over the same span.
January Weather in Kilmarnock, Year by Year
🔥 warmest❄️ coldest🌧️ wettest
YearAvg HighAvg TempAvg LowHottest DayColdest DayRainfallHumidityWindSolar
20255.3°C3.7°C2.0°C10.0°C-2.3°C63 mm94%3.9 m/s0.6
20245.4°C3.7°C2.0°C10.9°C-3.7°C123 mm94%4.6 m/s0.6
20236.3°C4.6°C3.0°C10.2°C-2.0°C123 mm94%4.9 m/s0.6
20226.8°C5.0°C3.2°C11.1°C-0.4°C68 mm93%4.7 m/s0.5
20213.2°C1.7°C0.2°C8.1°C-3.4°C119 mm94%3.6 m/s0.6
20206.8°C5.2°C3.7°C11.2°C-0.1°C130 mm94%5.5 m/s0.4
20195.1°C3.4°C1.7°C9.4°C-2.1°C59 mm93%3.8 m/s0.6
20184.9°C3.4°C1.8°C9.9°C-2.6°C159 mm95%4.9 m/s0.5
20175.9°C4.1°C2.3°C9.1°C-1.4°C75 mm94%4.2 m/s0.5
20165.2°C3.6°C2.0°C10.6°C-2.4°C185 mm94%5.1 m/s0.4
20155.4°C3.5°C1.7°C11.3°C-1.5°C176 mm92%6.1 m/s0.5
20145.7°C4.2°C2.7°C8.1°C-0.8°C137 mm95%4.9 m/s0.4
20134.6°C3.1°C1.5°C9.8°C-3.2°C126 mm95%4.7 m/s0.5
20126.1°C4.1°C2.2°C9.5°C-1.4°C118 mm93%5.2 m/s0.5
20113.9°C2.3°C0.7°C9.4°C-3.9°C100 mm94%3.5 m/s0.6
20102.5°C0.7°C-1.0°C7.6°C-6.0°C65 mm95%3.9 m/s0.6
20094.7°C3.2°C1.6°C9.1°C-3.2°C123 mm94%4.8 m/s0.5
2008 🌧️6.2°C4.6°C3.0°C10.8°C-1.1°C206 mm94%5.3 m/s0.4
20077.2°C5.4°C3.6°C10.8°C-1.2°C162 mm93%6.2 m/s0.5
20065.8°C4.1°C2.4°C10.2°C-1.1°C76 mm95%4 m/s0.5
20057.1°C5.1°C3.1°C10.6°C-1.8°C138 mm93%6.3 m/s0.5
20045.8°C4.3°C2.7°C9.4°C-1.7°C173 mm95%4.7 m/s0.5
20035.0°C3.3°C1.5°C10.7°C-4.7°C115 mm94%5.2 m/s0.5
20026.8°C5.0°C3.3°C9.9°C-2.2°C141 mm95%5.2 m/s0.5
20013.8°C2.3°C0.9°C6.8°C-3.5°C71 mm95%3.8 m/s0.6
20006.1°C4.3°C2.6°C9.0°C-0.9°C118 mm94%4.8 m/s0.6
19995.7°C4.1°C2.6°C8.8°C-1.0°C173 mm94%5.1 m/s0.5
19985.5°C3.9°C2.2°C10.1°C-1.7°C139 mm94%4.5 m/s0.6
19973.8°C2.1°C0.5°C8.8°C-4.2°C35 mm96%3 m/s0.5
19964.6°C3.4°C2.2°C9.0°C-2.9°C93 mm94%5.7 m/s0.4
19954.7°C2.8°C0.8°C9.4°C-3.6°C157 mm93%5.6 m/s0.5
19944.8°C3.2°C1.7°C8.3°C-1.3°C136 mm94%5.6 m/s0.4
19936.4°C4.2°C2.0°C10.6°C-1.1°C193 mm91%7.2 m/s0.5
19925.4°C3.8°C2.1°C10.2°C-1.8°C95 mm95%4 m/s0.5
19914.0°C2.3°C0.6°C9.8°C-1.7°C116 mm94%4.9 m/s0.4
19906.9°C5.2°C3.6°C10.8°C0.5°C190 mm94%6.2 m/s0.5
1989 🔥7.6°C6.1°C4.6°C9.9°C1.6°C132 mm94%6 m/s0.4
19884.9°C3.4°C2.0°C9.7°C-1.0°C156 mm94%4.8 m/s0.5
19872.1°C0.5°C-1.0°C7.3°C-6.6°C50 mm93%3.6 m/s0.6
19863.7°C2.1°C0.5°C9.0°C-4.3°C132 mm93%5.7 m/s0.5
1985 ❄️1.4°C-0.5°C-2.3°C7.3°C-9.0°C57 mm95%3.3 m/s0.6
19843.3°C1.4°C-0.4°C9.3°C-7.6°C180 mm92%5.7 m/s0.5
19836.5°C4.8°C3.0°C10.5°C-2.3°C156 mm92%7.1 m/s—
19823.1°C1.3°C-0.5°C8.8°C-11.3°C141 mm96%4.4 m/s—
19815.8°C3.8°C1.8°C9.4°C-1.9°C123 mm93%5.1 m/s—

Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.

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Kilmarnock January Weather — FAQ

What is the average temperature in Kilmarnock in January?▼

The average high in January is around 5.2°C with lows near 1.8°C (mean 3.5°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.

Does it rain a lot in Kilmarnock in January?▼

January averages 124 mm of rainfall in Kilmarnock, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 206 mm in 2008.

What was the hottest January on record in Kilmarnock?▼

The hottest January reached 11.3°C in 2015. The coldest dipped to -11.3°C in 1982.

Has January in Kilmarnock gotten warmer over time?▼

Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 4°C to 5.4°C and overnight lows from 0.3°C to 2.1°C over the same span.

Is January a good time to visit Kilmarnock?▼

January is one of the cooler months of the year in Kilmarnock and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 5.2°C daytime highs and 1.8°C at night.

Is January the coldest month in Kilmarnock?▼

Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Kilmarnock, averaging 3.5°C.

What should I pack for Kilmarnock in January?▼

For January in Kilmarnock, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 5.2°C and lows of 1.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.

Is Kilmarnock humid in January?▼

Relative humidity in January averages 94% — quite humid.

How windy is Kilmarnock in January?▼

Average wind speed in January is 4.9 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 7.2 m/s (1993).

Which January had the most rainfall in Kilmarnock?▼

The wettest January on record was 2008 with 206 mm. On average, January sees 124 mm.

Where does this January weather data come from?▼

All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.

Other Scotland cities

Explore how the weather in Kilmarnock 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.