January is one of the cooler months of the year in Salinas, with average highs near 14.3°C and lows around 9°C (mean 11.7°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 101 mm of rainfall and 80% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Salinas. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Salinas was 2014 — when the month averaged 14.1°C — while the coldest was 1982 at 9.4°C. Typical January days reach 14.3°C with nights near 9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Salinas, averaging 101 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1995 with 298 mm, while the driest were 2014 and 2022 at 3 mm.
Relative humidity in Salinas during January averages 80%. The most humid January was 2020 at 88%, and the least humid was 2014 at 68%.
January receives about 2.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Salinas. The sunniest January was 2007 at 3.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1995 and 2016 at 2.2.
Average wind speed in Salinas during January is 2.5 m/s. The windiest January was 1995 at 3.8 m/s, while the calmest was 2015 at 1.6 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.4°C | 11.6°C | 11.1°C | 12.2°C | 11.9°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg High | 14.2°C | 14.3°C | 13.8°C | 14.9°C | 14.5°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 8.6°C | 9.0°C | 8.5°C | 9.6°C | 9.2°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 86 mm | 146 mm | 92 mm | 92 mm | 79 mm | -6 mm |
January temperatures in Salinas have risen by about 0.4°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of 1.4°C (2007) to a record high of 23.6°C (2014).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 101 mm, with a wettest year of 298 mm.
A quieter season to visit Salinas
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of September and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Salinas. That said, January — with days averaging 14.3°C and nights around 9°C (mean 11.7°C) and higher rainfall (101 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 | 14.8°C | 11.5°C | 8.2°C | 19.6°C | 5.5°C | 9 mm | 77% | 2 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2024 | 14.6°C | 12.6°C | 10.6°C | 18.5°C | 7.8°C | 120 mm | 86% | 2.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2023 | 13.4°C | 11.2°C | 8.9°C | 15.7°C | 5.6°C | 178 mm | 82% | 3.5 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 15.1°C | 12.2°C | 9.3°C | 18.1°C | 5.8°C | 3 mm | 82% | 1.9 m/s | 3 |
| 2021 | 15.0°C | 12.1°C | 9.2°C | 21.6°C | 5.8°C | 127 mm | 81% | 2.4 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2020 | 14.0°C | 11.6°C | 9.1°C | 17.6°C | 6.4°C | 38 mm | 88% | 2.5 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2019 | 15.1°C | 12.6°C | 10.1°C | 19.3°C | 5.2°C | 109 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2018 | 15.8°C | 13.1°C | 10.5°C | 20.4°C | 7.4°C | 113 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2017 | 12.9°C | 10.7°C | 8.5°C | 17.0°C | 4.9°C | 214 mm | 83% | 3 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2016 | 14.3°C | 12.4°C | 10.4°C | 16.7°C | 7.3°C | 130 mm | 85% | 2.6 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2015 | 16.4°C | 13.6°C | 10.8°C | 21.8°C | 6.0°C | 3 mm | 79% | 1.6 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2014 🔥 | 17.5°C | 14.1°C | 10.7°C | 23.6°C | 7.8°C | 3 mm | 68% | 1.7 m/s | 3 |
| 2013 | 13.3°C | 10.6°C | 7.9°C | 18.9°C | 3.9°C | 29 mm | 74% | 2.3 m/s | 3 |
| 2012 | 14.6°C | 11.5°C | 8.4°C | 18.5°C | 5.3°C | 79 mm | 77% | 2.3 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2011 | 14.5°C | 11.6°C | 8.7°C | 18.8°C | 4.4°C | 52 mm | 83% | 2.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2010 | 14.3°C | 12.0°C | 9.8°C | 18.1°C | 7.5°C | 183 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2009 | 16.3°C | 12.5°C | 8.6°C | 22.0°C | 5.0°C | 46 mm | 70% | 2.2 m/s | 3 |
| 2008 | 12.6°C | 10.3°C | 7.9°C | 18.6°C | 5.6°C | 209 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2007 | 13.1°C | 9.9°C | 6.8°C | 19.7°C | 1.4°C | 22 mm | 74% | 2.6 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2006 | 13.8°C | 11.3°C | 8.9°C | 18.4°C | 6.4°C | 106 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2005 | 13.9°C | 11.5°C | 9.1°C | 19.7°C | 6.2°C | 129 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2004 | 13.1°C | 10.8°C | 8.6°C | 16.2°C | 4.9°C | 51 mm | 86% | 2.5 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2003 | 16.0°C | 13.4°C | 10.8°C | 19.4°C | 7.7°C | 32 mm | 86% | 1.9 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2002 | 12.2°C | 9.7°C | 7.2°C | 16.6°C | 3.9°C | 39 mm | 84% | 2.4 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2001 | 13.4°C | 10.6°C | 7.7°C | 19.9°C | 3.5°C | 125 mm | 78% | 2.8 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2000 | 13.2°C | 11.1°C | 9.1°C | 15.2°C | 5.8°C | 162 mm | 88% | 2.4 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1999 | 13.7°C | 10.8°C | 7.9°C | 18.4°C | 4.7°C | 118 mm | 80% | 2.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1998 | 14.4°C | 12.6°C | 10.9°C | 17.2°C | 8.3°C | 203 mm | 86% | 2.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1997 | 13.5°C | 11.2°C | 9.0°C | 17.0°C | 3.3°C | 214 mm | 87% | 2.8 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1996 | 14.4°C | 11.9°C | 9.4°C | 22.3°C | 6.8°C | 141 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1995 🌧️ | 13.7°C | 12.1°C | 10.5°C | 18.9°C | 6.6°C | 298 mm | 88% | 3.8 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1994 | 15.5°C | 12.3°C | 9.1°C | 20.8°C | 6.3°C | 56 mm | 75% | 2.2 m/s | 3 |
| 1993 | 13.5°C | 10.9°C | 8.4°C | 18.9°C | 3.3°C | 251 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1992 | 15.0°C | 11.7°C | 8.3°C | 17.9°C | 5.8°C | 82 mm | 77% | 2.3 m/s | 3 |
| 1991 | 14.7°C | 11.5°C | 8.2°C | 18.0°C | 4.8°C | 13 mm | 77% | 1.9 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1990 | 14.6°C | 11.4°C | 8.3°C | 20.0°C | 5.7°C | 82 mm | 80% | 3 m/s | 3 |
| 1989 | 13.3°C | 10.0°C | 6.7°C | 19.7°C | 3.6°C | 29 mm | 77% | 2.4 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1988 | 13.9°C | 11.3°C | 8.8°C | 19.1°C | 5.3°C | 59 mm | 79% | 2.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1987 | 13.8°C | 10.9°C | 8.0°C | 18.2°C | 3.0°C | 68 mm | 75% | 2.7 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1986 | 15.7°C | 13.2°C | 10.7°C | 20.3°C | 8.2°C | 79 mm | 80% | 2.4 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1985 | 13.6°C | 10.7°C | 7.8°C | 18.0°C | 5.3°C | 21 mm | 77% | 2 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1984 | 14.6°C | 11.8°C | 9.0°C | 20.0°C | 6.2°C | 7 mm | 80% | 2.1 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1983 | 15.3°C | 12.5°C | 9.7°C | 22.4°C | 6.8°C | 198 mm | 77% | 2.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 ❄️ | 12.3°C | 9.4°C | 6.5°C | 16.3°C | 3.8°C | 170 mm | 78% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.7°C | 12.9°C | 10.1°C | 20.7°C | 6.5°C | 140 mm | 75% | 2.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 14.3°C with lows near 9°C (mean 11.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 101 mm of rainfall in Salinas, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 298 mm in 1995.
The hottest January reached 23.6°C in 2014. The coldest dipped to 1.4°C in 2007.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.4°C. Daytime highs moved from 14.3°C to 14.6°C and overnight lows from 8.6°C to 9.2°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Salinas and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 14.3°C daytime highs and 9°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Salinas, averaging 11.7°C.
For January in Salinas, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 14.3°C and lows of 9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 80% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 2.5 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 3.8 m/s (1995).
The wettest January on record was 1995 with 298 mm. On average, January sees 101 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 Salinas 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.
