January is one of the cooler months of the year in Olympia, with average highs near 6.8°C and lows around 1.6°C (mean 4.2°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 257 mm of rainfall and 94% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Olympia. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Olympia was 2003 — when the month averaged 6.7°C — while the coldest was 1993 at 0.3°C. Typical January days reach 6.8°C with nights near 1.6°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Olympia, averaging 257 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2006 with 540 mm, while the driest was 1985 at 20 mm.
Relative humidity in Olympia during January averages 94%. The most humid January was 2006 at 98%, and the least humid was 2017 at 90%.
January receives about 1.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Olympia. The sunniest January was 2025 at 1.4 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1999 at 0.7.
Average wind speed in Olympia during January is 0.2 m/s. The windiest Januarys were 2023, 2024 and 2025, among others at 0.2 m/s, while the calmest were 1995 and 2018 at 0.1 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 3.9°C | 4.0°C | 4.1°C | 4.5°C | 4.7°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg High | 6.7°C | 6.6°C | 6.7°C | 7.1°C | 7.1°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Low | 1.1°C | 1.4°C | 1.5°C | 1.8°C | 2.2°C | +1.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 223 mm | 287 mm | 264 mm | 230 mm | 293 mm | +70 mm |
January temperatures in Olympia have risen by about 0.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -12.6°C (1996) to a record high of 15.7°C (2024).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 257 mm, with a wettest year of 540 mm.
A quieter season to visit Olympia
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Olympia. That said, January — with days averaging 6.8°C and nights around 1.6°C (mean 4.2°C) and higher rainfall (257 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 | 6.2°C | 3.3°C | 0.3°C | 9.4°C | -3.3°C | 87 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2024 | 6.7°C | 4.4°C | 2.1°C | 15.7°C | -9.5°C | 332 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1 |
| 2023 | 7.3°C | 5.0°C | 2.7°C | 11.8°C | -4.2°C | 193 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2022 | 7.5°C | 4.6°C | 1.7°C | 12.0°C | -9.2°C | 332 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2021 | 7.5°C | 5.2°C | 2.8°C | 11.5°C | -1.9°C | 348 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2020 | 7.4°C | 5.4°C | 3.5°C | 11.6°C | -2.1°C | 467 mm | 97% | 0.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2019 | 8.7°C | 5.5°C | 2.3°C | 12.9°C | -1.4°C | 176 mm | 92% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2018 | 8.2°C | 6.0°C | 3.8°C | 13.5°C | -1.1°C | 326 mm | 97% | 0.1 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2017 | 3.9°C | 0.9°C | -2.2°C | 10.4°C | -9.2°C | 149 mm | 90% | 0.2 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 7.3°C | 4.7°C | 2.0°C | 12.2°C | -6.9°C | 312 mm | 96% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2015 | 9.3°C | 6.3°C | 3.2°C | 13.9°C | -3.0°C | 209 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2014 | 8.3°C | 5.1°C | 1.9°C | 12.8°C | -2.6°C | 182 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2013 | 5.1°C | 2.7°C | 0.3°C | 9.3°C | -4.4°C | 148 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2012 | 5.7°C | 3.2°C | 0.6°C | 10.4°C | -4.0°C | 278 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2011 | 6.1°C | 3.8°C | 1.5°C | 11.0°C | -8.1°C | 239 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 1 |
| 2010 | 8.7°C | 6.4°C | 4.1°C | 11.8°C | -0.2°C | 278 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2009 | 6.5°C | 3.3°C | 0.0°C | 11.6°C | -5.1°C | 240 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2008 | 4.5°C | 2.1°C | -0.3°C | 8.8°C | -5.4°C | 224 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2007 | 5.6°C | 2.6°C | -0.5°C | 11.3°C | -8.0°C | 208 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2006 🌧️ | 7.8°C | 5.9°C | 4.1°C | 11.9°C | 1.5°C | 540 mm | 98% | 0.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2005 | 8.0°C | 5.2°C | 2.3°C | 15.4°C | -5.1°C | 170 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2004 | 6.0°C | 3.8°C | 1.6°C | 10.9°C | -9.4°C | 280 mm | 96% | 0.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2003 🔥 | 9.8°C | 6.7°C | 3.5°C | 13.6°C | -0.9°C | 322 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2002 | 6.0°C | 4.0°C | 2.0°C | 13.0°C | -3.4°C | 313 mm | 97% | 0.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2001 | 7.2°C | 4.3°C | 1.5°C | 11.6°C | -3.3°C | 119 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2000 | 5.6°C | 3.1°C | 0.6°C | 7.7°C | -3.0°C | 225 mm | 96% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1999 | 6.6°C | 4.4°C | 2.2°C | 10.4°C | -2.1°C | 329 mm | 97% | 0.2 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1998 | 6.7°C | 4.5°C | 2.3°C | 13.0°C | -6.5°C | 348 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1997 | 6.1°C | 3.7°C | 1.3°C | 11.3°C | -4.6°C | 286 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1996 | 5.5°C | 3.3°C | 1.1°C | 11.4°C | -12.6°C | 265 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1995 | 8.0°C | 5.2°C | 2.5°C | 12.6°C | -3.6°C | 295 mm | 92% | 0.1 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 8.7°C | 6.0°C | 3.4°C | 11.1°C | -1.4°C | 172 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1993 ❄️ | 3.9°C | 0.3°C | -3.3°C | 10.8°C | -10.9°C | 174 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1992 | 7.6°C | 5.2°C | 2.7°C | 12.0°C | -3.5°C | 366 mm | 96% | 0.2 m/s | 1 |
| 1991 | 5.7°C | 2.8°C | -0.1°C | 11.9°C | -5.5°C | 211 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1990 | 7.2°C | 4.7°C | 2.1°C | 11.1°C | -2.6°C | 420 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1989 | 6.0°C | 3.5°C | 1.1°C | 10.1°C | -3.0°C | 203 mm | 96% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1988 | 5.4°C | 2.6°C | -0.1°C | 12.0°C | -6.6°C | 195 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1987 | 6.0°C | 3.4°C | 0.7°C | 11.1°C | -4.8°C | 304 mm | 94% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1986 | 8.5°C | 5.7°C | 2.9°C | 12.3°C | -1.5°C | 349 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1985 | 6.0°C | 2.4°C | -1.1°C | 11.0°C | -3.7°C | 20 mm | 91% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1984 | 7.2°C | 4.4°C | 1.7°C | 12.6°C | -6.8°C | 227 mm | 93% | 0.2 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1983 | 8.3°C | 5.5°C | 2.8°C | 11.6°C | -3.5°C | 325 mm | 96% | 0.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 4.0°C | 1.9°C | -0.1°C | 9.5°C | -8.8°C | 295 mm | 96% | 0.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 9.3°C | 5.8°C | 2.3°C | 13.1°C | -1.3°C | 87 mm | 92% | 0.2 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 6.8°C with lows near 1.6°C (mean 4.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 257 mm of rainfall in Olympia, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 540 mm in 2006.
The hottest January reached 15.7°C in 2024. The coldest dipped to -12.6°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 7°C to 7°C and overnight lows from 1.1°C to 1.9°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Olympia and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 6.8°C daytime highs and 1.6°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 2nd coolest month in Olympia, averaging 4.2°C.
For January in Olympia, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 6.8°C and lows of 1.6°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 94% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 0.2 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 0.2 m/s (1981).
The wettest January on record was 2006 with 540 mm. On average, January sees 257 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 Olympia 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.
