January is one of the cooler months of the year in Rochester, with average highs near -1.2°C and lows around -8°C (mean -4.6°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 59 mm of rainfall and 89% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Rochester. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Rochester was 2006 — when the month averaged 0°C — while the coldest was 1994 at -11°C. Typical January days reach -1.2°C with nights near -8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.5°C per decade.
January is one of the drier months in Rochester, averaging 59 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1998 with 119 mm, while the driest was 1988 at 21 mm.
Relative humidity in Rochester during January averages 89%. The most humid January was 1994 at 96%, and the least humid was 1989 at 81%.
January receives about 1.3 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Rochester. The sunniest Januarys were 2003, 2009 and 2025, among others at 1.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2023 at 1.
Average wind speed in Rochester during January is 1.6 m/s. The windiest January was 1997 at 2 m/s, while the calmest were 1998, 2001 and 2023 at 1.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -5.8°C | -4.5°C | -4.5°C | -4.7°C | -3.4°C | +2.4°C |
| Avg High | -2.4°C | -0.9°C | -1.1°C | -1.1°C | -0.3°C | +2.1°C |
| Avg Low | -9.3°C | -8.0°C | -7.8°C | -8.1°C | -6.5°C | +2.8°C |
| Avg Rain | 41 mm | 71 mm | 63 mm | 53 mm | 68 mm | +28 mm |
January temperatures in Rochester have risen by about 3.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -25.9°C (1994) to a record high of 15.9°C (1995).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 59 mm, with a wettest year of 119 mm.
A quieter season to visit Rochester
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Rochester. That said, January — with days averaging -1.2°C and nights around -8°C (mean -4.6°C) and moderate rainfall (59 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 | -2.8°C | -5.5°C | -8.3°C | 2.8°C | -19.7°C | 42 mm | 87% | 1.9 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2024 | 0.5°C | -2.2°C | -4.8°C | 6.9°C | -12.0°C | 99 mm | 89% | 1.5 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2023 | 2.0°C | -0.7°C | -3.5°C | 8.2°C | -8.5°C | 92 mm | 91% | 1.3 m/s | 1 |
| 2022 | -3.3°C | -7.6°C | -11.9°C | 8.0°C | -19.7°C | 60 mm | 91% | 1.5 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2021 | -0.2°C | -2.9°C | -5.5°C | 3.5°C | -12.2°C | 50 mm | 89% | 1.4 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2020 | 2.2°C | -1.5°C | -5.1°C | 15.5°C | -12.8°C | 67 mm | 89% | 1.5 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2019 | -2.2°C | -5.8°C | -9.4°C | 9.9°C | -20.8°C | 68 mm | 90% | 1.8 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2018 | -1.4°C | -5.4°C | -9.3°C | 13.3°C | -22.0°C | 77 mm | 92% | 1.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2017 | 1.1°C | -1.8°C | -4.6°C | 13.0°C | -13.7°C | 69 mm | 89% | 1.6 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2016 | 0.2°C | -3.3°C | -6.8°C | 9.9°C | -11.8°C | 37 mm | 85% | 1.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2015 | -3.0°C | -7.3°C | -11.5°C | 8.5°C | -18.9°C | 40 mm | 84% | 1.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2014 | -3.5°C | -7.4°C | -11.3°C | 7.1°C | -19.6°C | 41 mm | 85% | 1.8 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2013 | 0.8°C | -2.8°C | -6.3°C | 15.5°C | -14.5°C | 41 mm | 87% | 1.6 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2012 | 1.4°C | -2.0°C | -5.5°C | 8.7°C | -15.9°C | 77 mm | 87% | 1.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2011 | -3.0°C | -5.8°C | -8.7°C | 7.9°C | -15.5°C | 33 mm | 90% | 1.4 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2010 | -1.9°C | -5.0°C | -8.1°C | 8.6°C | -17.8°C | 50 mm | 91% | 1.6 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2009 | -4.3°C | -7.6°C | -10.9°C | 1.7°C | -19.5°C | 48 mm | 93% | 1.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2008 | 1.1°C | -2.1°C | -5.4°C | 14.7°C | -13.0°C | 36 mm | 87% | 1.7 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2007 | 0.5°C | -2.7°C | -5.8°C | 13.3°C | -14.7°C | 96 mm | 92% | 1.5 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2006 🔥 | 3.5°C | 0.0°C | -3.5°C | 10.9°C | -12.8°C | 76 mm | 90% | 1.5 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2005 | -2.5°C | -6.2°C | -9.9°C | 10.8°C | -20.8°C | 88 mm | 93% | 1.4 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2004 | -5.4°C | -8.2°C | -11.0°C | 13.5°C | -19.0°C | 67 mm | 95% | 1.8 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2003 | -5.1°C | -8.3°C | -11.5°C | 0.8°C | -21.8°C | 57 mm | 94% | 1.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2002 | 2.5°C | -0.9°C | -4.3°C | 12.6°C | -11.8°C | 61 mm | 87% | 1.5 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2001 | -0.5°C | -3.8°C | -7.1°C | 5.5°C | -11.8°C | 37 mm | 91% | 1.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2000 | -1.2°C | -4.9°C | -8.6°C | 13.6°C | -16.5°C | 64 mm | 87% | 1.8 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1999 | -2.2°C | -5.9°C | -9.6°C | 11.3°C | -19.0°C | 109 mm | 93% | 1.6 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1998 🌧️ | 1.3°C | -1.9°C | -5.0°C | 12.7°C | -13.5°C | 119 mm | 92% | 1.3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1997 | -1.4°C | -5.1°C | -8.8°C | 9.9°C | -18.6°C | 46 mm | 87% | 2 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1996 | -2.9°C | -6.6°C | -10.2°C | 9.4°C | -18.3°C | 84 mm | 92% | 1.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1995 | 1.4°C | -1.7°C | -4.8°C | 15.9°C | -13.9°C | 74 mm | 89% | 1.5 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1994 ❄️ | -7.1°C | -11.0°C | -14.8°C | 1.8°C | -25.9°C | 69 mm | 96% | 1.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1993 | -0.1°C | -3.3°C | -6.5°C | 9.6°C | -12.4°C | 67 mm | 89% | 1.6 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1992 | -0.1°C | -3.8°C | -7.6°C | 10.8°C | -15.3°C | 42 mm | 87% | 1.6 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1991 | -1.6°C | -5.0°C | -8.3°C | 4.7°C | -17.2°C | 48 mm | 88% | 1.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1990 | 3.2°C | -0.6°C | -4.3°C | 11.5°C | -11.1°C | 50 mm | 87% | 1.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1989 | 1.6°C | -2.5°C | -6.7°C | 8.9°C | -16.0°C | 27 mm | 81% | 1.8 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1988 | -1.2°C | -5.0°C | -8.7°C | 10.0°C | -18.2°C | 21 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1987 | -1.5°C | -4.7°C | -7.8°C | 5.5°C | -17.1°C | 54 mm | 91% | 1.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1986 | -1.4°C | -4.8°C | -8.1°C | 10.8°C | -18.1°C | 47 mm | 90% | 1.7 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1985 | -3.3°C | -6.2°C | -9.2°C | 11.9°C | -17.3°C | 49 mm | 90% | 1.8 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1984 | -4.4°C | -8.1°C | -11.9°C | 2.0°C | -24.6°C | 34 mm | 95% | 1.4 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1983 | -0.4°C | -3.5°C | -6.7°C | 5.3°C | -14.8°C | 33 mm | 86% | 1.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | -5.7°C | -9.0°C | -12.4°C | 6.0°C | -23.5°C | 72 mm | 91% | 1.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 | -5.2°C | -8.7°C | -12.2°C | 4.6°C | -21.3°C | 27 mm | 94% | 1.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around -1.2°C with lows near -8°C (mean -4.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 59 mm of rainfall in Rochester, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 119 mm in 1998.
The hottest January reached 15.9°C in 1995. The coldest dipped to -25.9°C in 1994.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 3.3°C. Daytime highs moved from -3.8°C to -0.8°C and overnight lows from -10.5°C to -6.8°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Rochester and one of the drier months, so plan for around -1.2°C daytime highs and -8°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Rochester, averaging -4.6°C.
For January in Rochester, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of -1.2°C and lows of -8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 89% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 1.6 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 2 m/s (1997).
The wettest January on record was 1998 with 119 mm. On average, January sees 59 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 Rochester 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.
