January is one of the cooler months of the year in Peterhead, with average highs near 6°C and lows around 3.7°C (mean 4.9°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 80 mm of rainfall and 87% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Peterhead. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Peterhead was 1989 — when the month averaged 6.6°C — while the coldest was 1987 at 2.6°C. Typical January days reach 6°C with nights near 3.7°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
January is about average for rainfall in Peterhead, averaging 80 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2016 with 139 mm, while the driest was 1997 at 39 mm.
Relative humidity in Peterhead during January averages 87%. The most humid January was 2002 at 91%, and the least humid was 1985 at 83%.
January receives about 0.4 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Peterhead. The sunniest Januarys were 2022, 2023 and 2025, among others at 0.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1996, 2010 and 2014 at 0.3.
Average wind speed in Peterhead during January is 6.6 m/s. The windiest January was 1993 at 8.9 m/s, while the calmest was 1997 at 4.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 4.1°C | 4.7°C | 5.4°C | 4.7°C | 5.3°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg High | 5.3°C | 5.9°C | 6.6°C | 5.9°C | 6.6°C | +1.3°C |
| Avg Low | 3.0°C | 3.6°C | 4.2°C | 3.6°C | 4.1°C | +1.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 83 mm | 74 mm | 86 mm | 86 mm | 68 mm | -15 mm |
January temperatures in Peterhead have risen by about 1.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -2.9°C (1987) to a record high of 12°C (2007).
Rainfall in January is about average for rainfall, averaging 80 mm, with a wettest year of 139 mm.
A quieter season to visit Peterhead
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Peterhead. That said, January — with days averaging 6°C and nights around 3.7°C (mean 4.9°C) and higher rainfall (80 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 | 6.1°C | 5.0°C | 3.9°C | 9.8°C | 1.7°C | 55 mm | 87% | 5.6 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2024 | 6.6°C | 5.3°C | 4.1°C | 10.5°C | 1.1°C | 83 mm | 87% | 6.8 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2023 | 6.8°C | 5.5°C | 4.3°C | 10.1°C | 1.2°C | 79 mm | 89% | 6.6 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2022 | 7.4°C | 5.9°C | 4.5°C | 10.9°C | 2.2°C | 52 mm | 89% | 6.7 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2021 | 5.0°C | 4.2°C | 3.3°C | 6.5°C | 1.3°C | 96 mm | 84% | 5.3 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2020 | 7.4°C | 6.1°C | 4.7°C | 11.7°C | 2.5°C | 45 mm | 89% | 6.5 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2019 | 5.9°C | 4.7°C | 3.6°C | 9.3°C | 1.2°C | 59 mm | 86% | 5.7 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2018 | 5.7°C | 4.8°C | 3.8°C | 9.2°C | 1.2°C | 79 mm | 87% | 6.2 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2017 | 6.6°C | 5.5°C | 4.3°C | 9.9°C | 2.0°C | 71 mm | 88% | 6.3 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2016 🌧️ | 6.1°C | 4.9°C | 3.7°C | 10.9°C | 2.2°C | 139 mm | 85% | 6.8 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2015 | 6.1°C | 4.7°C | 3.3°C | 10.6°C | 1.3°C | 89 mm | 86% | 7.8 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2014 | 6.5°C | 5.4°C | 4.3°C | 8.5°C | 2.4°C | 111 mm | 90% | 6.9 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2013 | 5.4°C | 4.4°C | 3.5°C | 10.0°C | 1.0°C | 82 mm | 86% | 6.1 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2012 | 6.3°C | 5.0°C | 3.8°C | 9.8°C | 1.8°C | 76 mm | 87% | 6.8 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2011 | 5.2°C | 4.0°C | 2.9°C | 8.3°C | -0.2°C | 68 mm | 89% | 5.4 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2010 | 4.7°C | 3.9°C | 3.0°C | 8.2°C | 0.7°C | 88 mm | 84% | 6.6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 2009 | 5.9°C | 4.7°C | 3.6°C | 9.5°C | 1.3°C | 77 mm | 88% | 6.5 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2008 | 6.6°C | 5.3°C | 4.1°C | 10.1°C | 2.0°C | 112 mm | 89% | 6.8 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2007 | 7.5°C | 6.1°C | 4.7°C | 12.0°C | 2.6°C | 89 mm | 87% | 7.5 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2006 | 7.0°C | 5.9°C | 4.8°C | 10.5°C | 2.1°C | 58 mm | 88% | 5.6 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2005 | 7.4°C | 6.0°C | 4.6°C | 11.1°C | 1.8°C | 85 mm | 88% | 8.2 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2004 | 6.3°C | 5.2°C | 4.0°C | 9.3°C | 0.7°C | 115 mm | 90% | 5.6 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2003 | 6.6°C | 5.4°C | 4.3°C | 10.9°C | 0.6°C | 116 mm | 86% | 6.9 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2002 | 6.7°C | 5.3°C | 3.9°C | 9.5°C | -0.5°C | 92 mm | 91% | 6.3 m/s | 0.4 |
| 2001 | 5.3°C | 4.3°C | 3.4°C | 7.1°C | 2.0°C | 59 mm | 89% | 5.1 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2000 | 7.0°C | 5.7°C | 4.3°C | 9.1°C | 2.5°C | 59 mm | 89% | 7.3 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1999 | 5.8°C | 4.8°C | 3.8°C | 7.9°C | 2.3°C | 91 mm | 90% | 6.4 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1998 | 6.3°C | 5.3°C | 4.3°C | 10.2°C | 1.6°C | 109 mm | 88% | 6.2 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1997 | 5.3°C | 4.2°C | 3.2°C | 9.4°C | 0.6°C | 39 mm | 89% | 4.3 m/s | 0.5 |
| 1996 | 5.9°C | 5.1°C | 4.4°C | 8.4°C | 1.8°C | 50 mm | 88% | 7.6 m/s | 0.3 |
| 1995 | 5.3°C | 4.1°C | 2.8°C | 9.0°C | 0.1°C | 95 mm | 86% | 7.9 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1994 | 5.3°C | 4.2°C | 3.1°C | 8.0°C | 0.5°C | 92 mm | 88% | 7.5 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1993 | 6.2°C | 4.6°C | 3.0°C | 9.7°C | -0.2°C | 84 mm | 87% | 8.9 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1992 | 6.6°C | 5.2°C | 3.9°C | 11.4°C | 1.4°C | 52 mm | 89% | 5.8 m/s | 0.5 |
| 1991 | 5.3°C | 4.1°C | 3.0°C | 8.8°C | 1.2°C | 55 mm | 88% | 6 m/s | 0.5 |
| 1990 | 7.3°C | 5.8°C | 4.3°C | 11.8°C | 1.7°C | 71 mm | 89% | 7.5 m/s | 0.5 |
| 1989 🔥 | 7.9°C | 6.6°C | 5.2°C | 11.2°C | 2.5°C | 41 mm | 89% | 7.1 m/s | 0.5 |
| 1988 | 5.9°C | 4.9°C | 3.9°C | 9.5°C | 1.9°C | 98 mm | 88% | 6.2 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1987 ❄️ | 3.6°C | 2.6°C | 1.7°C | 6.9°C | -2.9°C | 63 mm | 85% | 5.9 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1986 | 4.5°C | 3.6°C | 2.6°C | 7.5°C | 0.5°C | 104 mm | 85% | 7.2 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1985 | 4.5°C | 3.6°C | 2.8°C | 6.8°C | 0.0°C | 83 mm | 83% | 5.7 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1984 | 4.2°C | 3.1°C | 2.0°C | 9.0°C | -0.6°C | 120 mm | 84% | 7.5 m/s | 0.4 |
| 1983 | 6.8°C | 5.4°C | 3.9°C | 9.6°C | 0.8°C | 70 mm | 86% | 8.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 4.4°C | 3.2°C | 2.0°C | 9.3°C | -2.7°C | 89 mm | 88% | 5.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 5.6°C | 4.1°C | 2.6°C | 8.9°C | -0.4°C | 82 mm | 86% | 6.8 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 6°C with lows near 3.7°C (mean 4.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 80 mm of rainfall in Peterhead, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 139 mm in 2016.
The hottest January reached 12°C in 2007. The coldest dipped to -2.9°C in 1987.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 1.3°C. Daytime highs moved from 5.1°C to 6.4°C and overnight lows from 2.7°C to 4°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Peterhead and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 6°C daytime highs and 3.7°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 2nd coolest month in Peterhead, averaging 4.9°C.
For January in Peterhead, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 6°C and lows of 3.7°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 87% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 6.6 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 8.9 m/s (1993).
The wettest January on record was 2016 with 139 mm. On average, January sees 80 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 Peterhead 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.
