January is one of the cooler months of the year in Tuscaloosa, with average highs near 12.3°C and lows around 0.9°C (mean 6.6°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 135 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Tuscaloosa. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Tuscaloosa was 2017 — when the month averaged 11.1°C — while the coldest were 1985 and 2014 at 2.4°C. Typical January days reach 12.3°C with nights near 0.9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Tuscaloosa, averaging 135 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1999 with 258 mm, while the driest was 1986 at 33 mm.
Relative humidity in Tuscaloosa during January averages 82%. The most humid January was 1998 at 88%, and the least humid was 2018 at 74%.
January receives about 2.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Tuscaloosa. The sunniest January was 2014 at 3.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1991 at 2.
Average wind speed in Tuscaloosa during January is 0.1 m/s. The windiest Januarys were 2022, 2024 and 2025, among others at 0.2 m/s, while the calmest were 2016, 2017 and 2023, among others at 0.1 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 5.0°C | 7.3°C | 7.0°C | 6.5°C | 7.4°C | +2.4°C |
| Avg High | 10.7°C | 12.8°C | 12.8°C | 12.2°C | 13.3°C | +2.6°C |
| Avg Low | -0.7°C | 1.9°C | 1.2°C | 0.8°C | 1.5°C | +2.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 109 mm | 185 mm | 106 mm | 130 mm | 147 mm | +38 mm |
January temperatures in Tuscaloosa have risen by about 2.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -16.1°C (1982) to a record high of 26°C (2022).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 135 mm, with a wettest year of 258 mm.
A quieter season to visit Tuscaloosa
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of May and September tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Tuscaloosa. That said, January — with days averaging 12.3°C and nights around 0.9°C (mean 6.6°C) and higher rainfall (135 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 | 11.0°C | 4.8°C | -1.5°C | 21.0°C | -7.8°C | 87 mm | 76% | 0.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2024 | 11.9°C | 6.0°C | 0.1°C | 21.1°C | -8.3°C | 209 mm | 78% | 0.2 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2023 | 16.0°C | 10.3°C | 4.5°C | 24.0°C | -4.4°C | 201 mm | 84% | 0.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 12.5°C | 5.8°C | -0.8°C | 26.0°C | -6.3°C | 129 mm | 79% | 0.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2021 | 13.0°C | 7.5°C | 2.0°C | 22.5°C | -4.7°C | 80 mm | 81% | 0.2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2020 | 15.1°C | 9.9°C | 4.7°C | 23.5°C | -5.8°C | 175 mm | 84% | 0.2 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2019 | 12.8°C | 7.1°C | 1.5°C | 20.3°C | -5.6°C | 147 mm | 83% | 0.2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2018 | 10.5°C | 4.5°C | -1.6°C | 21.9°C | -10.1°C | 61 mm | 74% | 0.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2017 🔥 | 16.5°C | 11.1°C | 5.8°C | 24.4°C | -9.3°C | 200 mm | 84% | 0.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2016 | 11.9°C | 6.1°C | 0.2°C | 20.6°C | -6.7°C | 102 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2015 | 11.7°C | 5.9°C | 0.2°C | 21.4°C | -9.5°C | 136 mm | 81% | 0.2 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2014 | 8.4°C | 2.4°C | -3.6°C | 17.7°C | -11.1°C | 55 mm | 74% | 0.2 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 14.9°C | 9.5°C | 4.0°C | 23.9°C | -3.6°C | 199 mm | 86% | 0.1 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2012 | 15.7°C | 9.7°C | 3.7°C | 21.7°C | -6.1°C | 156 mm | 81% | 0.2 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2011 | 10.3°C | 4.6°C | -1.0°C | 20.0°C | -7.3°C | 101 mm | 80% | 0.2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2010 | 9.3°C | 4.1°C | -1.2°C | 21.5°C | -10.5°C | 145 mm | 83% | 0.2 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2009 | 12.7°C | 6.9°C | 1.1°C | 23.0°C | -7.3°C | 129 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2008 | 11.6°C | 5.7°C | -0.2°C | 21.3°C | -8.1°C | 123 mm | 77% | 0.1 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2007 | 12.8°C | 7.4°C | 2.0°C | 22.4°C | -6.8°C | 78 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2006 | 16.0°C | 10.0°C | 4.0°C | 24.0°C | -4.4°C | 137 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2005 | 14.4°C | 8.8°C | 3.3°C | 22.3°C | -6.0°C | 76 mm | 84% | 0.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2004 | 12.5°C | 6.6°C | 0.6°C | 23.3°C | -7.2°C | 76 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2003 | 9.7°C | 3.9°C | -1.8°C | 18.8°C | -9.2°C | 51 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2002 | 14.1°C | 8.2°C | 2.3°C | 24.1°C | -5.9°C | 145 mm | 86% | 0.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2001 | 10.4°C | 4.7°C | -1.0°C | 18.7°C | -9.2°C | 125 mm | 85% | 0.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2000 | 13.4°C | 7.7°C | 2.0°C | 23.1°C | -5.4°C | 123 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1999 🌧️ | 15.0°C | 9.2°C | 3.5°C | 22.9°C | -7.5°C | 258 mm | 84% | 0.2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1998 | 13.9°C | 8.6°C | 3.4°C | 21.4°C | -5.2°C | 245 mm | 88% | 0.1 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1997 | 12.9°C | 7.3°C | 1.7°C | 22.7°C | -8.3°C | 168 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1996 | 11.8°C | 5.7°C | -0.4°C | 22.5°C | -7.0°C | 199 mm | 85% | 0.1 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1995 | 12.6°C | 7.0°C | 1.4°C | 21.1°C | -6.8°C | 109 mm | 83% | 0.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1994 | 9.8°C | 4.4°C | -1.0°C | 19.9°C | -11.5°C | 140 mm | 81% | 0.2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1993 | 13.9°C | 8.9°C | 3.9°C | 20.5°C | -2.7°C | 194 mm | 87% | 0.2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1992 | 11.1°C | 6.1°C | 1.0°C | 19.8°C | -7.4°C | 156 mm | 86% | 0.2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1991 | 12.4°C | 7.4°C | 2.4°C | 19.9°C | -5.6°C | 131 mm | 86% | 0.1 m/s | 2 |
| 1990 | 14.1°C | 8.5°C | 2.9°C | 22.5°C | -5.4°C | 246 mm | 87% | 0.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1989 | 15.2°C | 9.3°C | 3.4°C | 22.1°C | -4.1°C | 112 mm | 84% | 0.2 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1988 | 8.9°C | 3.6°C | -1.8°C | 21.6°C | -12.6°C | 130 mm | 83% | 0.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1987 | 10.6°C | 5.4°C | 0.1°C | 20.2°C | -6.8°C | 189 mm | 86% | 0.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1986 | 11.9°C | 5.6°C | -0.7°C | 19.3°C | -6.9°C | 33 mm | 77% | 0.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1985 ❄️ | 8.2°C | 2.4°C | -3.5°C | 20.1°C | -15.4°C | 105 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1984 | 9.7°C | 4.0°C | -1.6°C | 16.8°C | -10.9°C | 93 mm | 83% | 0.2 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1983 | 10.4°C | 5.4°C | 0.5°C | 17.1°C | -5.4°C | 115 mm | 87% | 0.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 11.0°C | 5.1°C | -0.8°C | 22.7°C | -16.1°C | 167 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 10.3°C | 4.1°C | -2.1°C | 17.7°C | -8.3°C | 37 mm | 75% | 0.2 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 12.3°C with lows near 0.9°C (mean 6.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 135 mm of rainfall in Tuscaloosa, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 258 mm in 1999.
The hottest January reached 26°C in 2022. The coldest dipped to -16.1°C in 1982.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 2.7°C. Daytime highs moved from 9.9°C to 12.9°C and overnight lows from -1.5°C to 0.9°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Tuscaloosa and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 12.3°C daytime highs and 0.9°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Tuscaloosa, averaging 6.6°C.
For January in Tuscaloosa, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 12.3°C and lows of 0.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 0.1 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 0.2 m/s (1981).
The wettest January on record was 1999 with 258 mm. On average, January sees 135 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 Tuscaloosa 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.
