January is one of the cooler months of the year in Altoona, with average highs near 0.4°C and lows around -7.8°C (mean -3.7°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 67 mm of rainfall and 88% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Altoona. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Altoona was 2023 — when the month averaged 1.4°C — while the coldest was 1994 at -9.7°C. Typical January days reach 0.4°C with nights near -7.8°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.5°C per decade.
January is one of the drier months in Altoona, averaging 67 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1996 with 158 mm, while the driest was 1981 at 14 mm.
Relative humidity in Altoona during January averages 88%. The most humid January was 1994 at 98%, and the least humid was 2000 at 82%.
January receives about 1.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Altoona. The sunniest Januarys were 1994, 2018 and 2022, among others at 1.9 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2023 at 1.3.
Average wind speed in Altoona during January is 0.6 m/s. The windiest Januarys were 1985, 1997 and 2004 at 0.8 m/s, while the calmest was 1998 at 0.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -5.3°C | -3.3°C | -3.2°C | -3.9°C | -2.2°C | +3.1°C |
| Avg High | -1.1°C | 0.8°C | 1.0°C | 0.2°C | 1.7°C | +2.8°C |
| Avg Low | -9.6°C | -7.5°C | -7.3°C | -8.0°C | -6.2°C | +3.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 49 mm | 84 mm | 67 mm | 63 mm | 70 mm | +21 mm |
January temperatures in Altoona have risen by about 3.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -28.9°C (1994) to a record high of 18.9°C (2018).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 67 mm, with a wettest year of 158 mm.
A quieter season to visit Altoona
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Altoona. That said, January — with days averaging 0.4°C and nights around -7.8°C (mean -3.7°C) and moderate rainfall (67 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 | -1.6°C | -5.4°C | -9.2°C | 7.4°C | -20.5°C | 29 mm | 84% | 0.7 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2024 | 2.1°C | -1.8°C | -5.7°C | 15.4°C | -13.7°C | 145 mm | 89% | 0.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2023 🔥 | 4.9°C | 1.4°C | -2.2°C | 16.4°C | -8.0°C | 80 mm | 90% | 0.6 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2022 | -0.9°C | -5.3°C | -9.7°C | 11.8°C | -17.7°C | 53 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | 1.9 |
| 2021 | 1.5°C | -2.1°C | -5.8°C | 6.8°C | -11.2°C | 42 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2020 | 4.4°C | -0.2°C | -4.7°C | 16.6°C | -12.8°C | 70 mm | 86% | 0.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2019 | -0.2°C | -4.5°C | -8.7°C | 11.9°C | -23.5°C | 83 mm | 90% | 0.7 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2018 | 0.2°C | -4.2°C | -8.7°C | 18.9°C | -19.1°C | 56 mm | 85% | 0.7 m/s | 1.9 |
| 2017 | 2.8°C | -0.7°C | -4.1°C | 17.4°C | -14.3°C | 87 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2016 | 0.2°C | -4.3°C | -8.7°C | 11.3°C | -16.6°C | 67 mm | 84% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2015 | -1.0°C | -5.1°C | -9.3°C | 10.3°C | -17.0°C | 51 mm | 84% | 0.7 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2014 | -1.8°C | -6.5°C | -11.3°C | 6.7°C | -21.6°C | 30 mm | 83% | 0.7 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2013 | 1.4°C | -2.7°C | -6.9°C | 15.5°C | -19.0°C | 72 mm | 90% | 0.6 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2012 | 2.6°C | -1.4°C | -5.4°C | 11.4°C | -14.3°C | 79 mm | 88% | 0.7 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2011 | -1.3°C | -5.2°C | -9.0°C | 4.9°C | -16.9°C | 32 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2010 | -0.7°C | -4.2°C | -7.7°C | 8.7°C | -16.0°C | 74 mm | 88% | 0.7 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2009 | -2.7°C | -7.1°C | -11.5°C | 4.6°C | -23.0°C | 56 mm | 91% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2008 | 2.4°C | -1.9°C | -6.2°C | 17.8°C | -15.0°C | 54 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2007 | 3.7°C | -0.4°C | -4.5°C | 15.3°C | -13.3°C | 69 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2006 | 5.1°C | 0.7°C | -3.8°C | 12.4°C | -11.3°C | 104 mm | 89% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2005 | 0.6°C | -3.5°C | -7.6°C | 14.5°C | -18.6°C | 123 mm | 90% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2004 | -3.2°C | -7.1°C | -11.0°C | 16.3°C | -20.3°C | 88 mm | 88% | 0.8 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2003 | -3.0°C | -6.5°C | -10.1°C | 6.7°C | -16.2°C | 54 mm | 86% | 0.7 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2002 | 4.8°C | 0.4°C | -4.1°C | 17.5°C | -11.4°C | 46 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2001 | 1.4°C | -2.9°C | -7.1°C | 8.5°C | -14.1°C | 39 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2000 | 0.6°C | -3.4°C | -7.5°C | 14.4°C | -15.4°C | 37 mm | 82% | 0.7 m/s | 1.8 |
| 1999 | 1.0°C | -3.7°C | -8.3°C | 16.0°C | -19.3°C | 121 mm | 89% | 0.6 m/s | 1.8 |
| 1998 | 4.2°C | 0.5°C | -3.3°C | 17.8°C | -13.5°C | 91 mm | 91% | 0.5 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1997 | -0.2°C | -4.2°C | -8.1°C | 15.6°C | -18.4°C | 51 mm | 86% | 0.8 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1996 🌧️ | -2.1°C | -6.6°C | -11.0°C | 11.0°C | -20.5°C | 158 mm | 93% | 0.7 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1995 | 1.9°C | -1.9°C | -5.7°C | 16.0°C | -13.9°C | 75 mm | 88% | 0.6 m/s | 1.8 |
| 1994 ❄️ | -5.4°C | -9.7°C | -14.0°C | 2.8°C | -28.9°C | 106 mm | 98% | 0.6 m/s | 1.9 |
| 1993 | 2.0°C | -1.9°C | -5.8°C | 11.2°C | -11.7°C | 53 mm | 86% | 0.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1992 | 1.8°C | -2.4°C | -6.6°C | 10.8°C | -14.3°C | 51 mm | 86% | 0.7 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1991 | 0.8°C | -3.5°C | -7.8°C | 6.6°C | -14.9°C | 62 mm | 88% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1990 | 3.9°C | -0.1°C | -4.1°C | 13.3°C | -12.2°C | 76 mm | 88% | 0.6 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1989 | 2.9°C | -1.8°C | -6.6°C | 9.5°C | -16.1°C | 56 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1988 | -1.5°C | -5.8°C | -10.2°C | 11.0°C | -18.7°C | 45 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1987 | -1.3°C | -5.3°C | -9.4°C | 6.9°C | -27.6°C | 73 mm | 94% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1986 | 0.5°C | -3.7°C | -7.8°C | 12.5°C | -15.5°C | 52 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1985 | -2.9°C | -6.5°C | -10.1°C | 13.3°C | -25.5°C | 36 mm | 86% | 0.8 m/s | 1.9 |
| 1984 | -2.6°C | -7.6°C | -12.5°C | 6.3°C | -28.0°C | 32 mm | 94% | 0.6 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1983 | 1.1°C | -2.7°C | -6.6°C | 5.7°C | -16.4°C | 38 mm | 85% | 0.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | -4.0°C | -8.3°C | -12.7°C | 5.9°C | -24.5°C | 92 mm | 88% | 0.7 m/s | — |
| 1981 | -2.2°C | -6.2°C | -10.2°C | 10.1°C | -16.9°C | 14 mm | 84% | 0.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 0.4°C with lows near -7.8°C (mean -3.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 67 mm of rainfall in Altoona, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 158 mm in 1996.
The hottest January reached 18.9°C in 2018. The coldest dipped to -28.9°C in 1994.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 3.7°C. Daytime highs moved from -2.1°C to 1.2°C and overnight lows from -10.4°C to -6.5°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Altoona and one of the drier months, so plan for around 0.4°C daytime highs and -7.8°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Altoona, averaging -3.7°C.
For January in Altoona, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 0.4°C and lows of -7.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 88% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 0.6 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 0.8 m/s (1985).
The wettest January on record was 1996 with 158 mm. On average, January sees 67 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 Altoona 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.
