January is one of the cooler months of the year in Tacoma, with average highs near 5.8°C and lows around 0.4°C (mean 3.1°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 222 mm of rainfall and 93% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Tacoma. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Tacoma was 2003 — when the month averaged 5.9°C — while the coldest was 1993 at -1.1°C. Typical January days reach 5.8°C with nights near 0.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Tacoma, averaging 222 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2006 with 437 mm, while the driest was 1985 at 21 mm.
Relative humidity in Tacoma during January averages 93%. The most humid January was 2006 at 97%, and the least humid was 1981 at 89%.
January receives about 1.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Tacoma. The sunniest January was 2025 at 1.4 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1999 at 0.7.
Average wind speed in Tacoma during January is 0.3 m/s. The windiest January was 2013 at 0.4 m/s, while the calmest were 1995, 2010 and 2018 at 0.2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 2.9°C | 2.8°C | 2.9°C | 3.6°C | 3.5°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg High | 5.7°C | 5.5°C | 5.6°C | 6.3°C | 6.0°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 0.0°C | 0.2°C | 0.3°C | 0.8°C | 0.9°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Rain | 201 mm | 243 mm | 231 mm | 197 mm | 244 mm | +43 mm |
January temperatures in Tacoma have risen by about 0.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -17.2°C (1996) to a record high of 17.3°C (2005).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 222 mm, with a wettest year of 437 mm.
A quieter season to visit Tacoma
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Tacoma. That said, January — with days averaging 5.8°C and nights around 0.4°C (mean 3.1°C) and higher rainfall (222 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 | 5.3°C | 2.2°C | -0.9°C | 8.2°C | -5.1°C | 82 mm | 90% | 0.3 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2024 | 5.3°C | 3.0°C | 0.7°C | 14.5°C | -12.7°C | 291 mm | 94% | 0.3 m/s | 1 |
| 2023 | 6.2°C | 3.7°C | 1.2°C | 10.8°C | -6.6°C | 146 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2022 | 6.8°C | 3.7°C | 0.6°C | 10.6°C | -12.5°C | 283 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2021 | 6.8°C | 4.3°C | 1.8°C | 11.2°C | -2.5°C | 274 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2020 | 5.8°C | 4.0°C | 2.2°C | 10.9°C | -4.0°C | 389 mm | 97% | 0.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2019 | 7.8°C | 4.7°C | 1.6°C | 12.0°C | -2.0°C | 130 mm | 90% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2018 | 7.2°C | 4.9°C | 2.7°C | 12.9°C | -1.6°C | 279 mm | 95% | 0.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2017 | 2.9°C | -0.3°C | -3.5°C | 9.3°C | -10.2°C | 118 mm | 91% | 0.3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 6.1°C | 3.5°C | 0.8°C | 11.9°C | -7.6°C | 249 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2015 | 9.1°C | 5.8°C | 2.6°C | 15.7°C | -5.6°C | 188 mm | 90% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2014 | 7.6°C | 4.5°C | 1.3°C | 12.2°C | -3.1°C | 175 mm | 91% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2013 | 4.1°C | 1.7°C | -0.7°C | 7.4°C | -6.4°C | 147 mm | 90% | 0.4 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2012 | 4.7°C | 2.3°C | -0.1°C | 9.5°C | -5.3°C | 251 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2011 | 5.4°C | 3.0°C | 0.5°C | 11.5°C | -10.0°C | 234 mm | 94% | 0.3 m/s | 1 |
| 2010 | 7.8°C | 5.4°C | 2.9°C | 11.4°C | -1.3°C | 200 mm | 92% | 0.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2009 | 5.0°C | 1.9°C | -1.1°C | 8.9°C | -7.6°C | 255 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2008 | 2.9°C | 0.6°C | -1.8°C | 6.9°C | -7.4°C | 190 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2007 | 4.5°C | 1.4°C | -1.7°C | 10.0°C | -10.2°C | 185 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 2006 🌧️ | 6.2°C | 4.5°C | 2.7°C | 9.4°C | 0.8°C | 437 mm | 97% | 0.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2005 | 7.4°C | 4.4°C | 1.4°C | 17.3°C | -6.0°C | 143 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2004 | 5.2°C | 2.8°C | 0.4°C | 10.3°C | -13.1°C | 260 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2003 🔥 | 9.1°C | 5.9°C | 2.7°C | 13.0°C | -1.2°C | 281 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2002 | 4.7°C | 2.7°C | 0.8°C | 12.0°C | -5.2°C | 270 mm | 96% | 0.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2001 | 6.5°C | 3.5°C | 0.5°C | 10.0°C | -4.4°C | 90 mm | 90% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 2000 | 4.2°C | 1.7°C | -0.8°C | 6.2°C | -4.4°C | 196 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1999 | 5.5°C | 3.3°C | 1.1°C | 8.9°C | -4.6°C | 269 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1998 | 5.3°C | 3.0°C | 0.8°C | 11.1°C | -9.5°C | 278 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1997 | 5.1°C | 2.6°C | 0.1°C | 10.3°C | -6.7°C | 251 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1996 | 4.1°C | 1.8°C | -0.5°C | 10.1°C | -17.2°C | 263 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1995 | 6.9°C | 4.0°C | 1.1°C | 11.9°C | -5.1°C | 228 mm | 90% | 0.2 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 7.6°C | 5.0°C | 2.4°C | 11.6°C | -2.3°C | 159 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1993 ❄️ | 2.7°C | -1.1°C | -4.8°C | 9.0°C | -12.6°C | 141 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1992 | 6.7°C | 4.2°C | 1.6°C | 11.2°C | -5.7°C | 268 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 1 |
| 1991 | 4.8°C | 1.9°C | -1.1°C | 9.6°C | -8.8°C | 183 mm | 91% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1990 | 5.8°C | 3.5°C | 1.1°C | 9.3°C | -3.2°C | 394 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1989 | 4.5°C | 2.1°C | -0.4°C | 8.8°C | -7.1°C | 212 mm | 96% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1988 | 4.4°C | 1.6°C | -1.3°C | 10.1°C | -8.6°C | 169 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1987 | 5.0°C | 2.2°C | -0.6°C | 10.9°C | -9.4°C | 252 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1986 | 7.3°C | 4.6°C | 1.9°C | 10.8°C | -2.4°C | 278 mm | 93% | 0.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1985 | 5.0°C | 1.4°C | -2.3°C | 11.3°C | -4.5°C | 21 mm | 89% | 0.3 m/s | 1.2 |
| 1984 | 6.4°C | 3.6°C | 0.8°C | 12.1°C | -8.3°C | 225 mm | 92% | 0.3 m/s | 1.1 |
| 1983 | 7.2°C | 4.5°C | 1.7°C | 11.4°C | -4.5°C | 293 mm | 94% | 0.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 2.7°C | 0.7°C | -1.3°C | 7.3°C | -11.8°C | 288 mm | 95% | 0.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 8.9°C | 5.2°C | 1.5°C | 12.8°C | -1.3°C | 74 mm | 89% | 0.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 5.8°C with lows near 0.4°C (mean 3.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 222 mm of rainfall in Tacoma, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 437 mm in 2006.
The hottest January reached 17.3°C in 2005. The coldest dipped to -17.2°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.3°C. Daytime highs moved from 6°C to 6.1°C and overnight lows from 0.1°C to 0.7°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Tacoma and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 5.8°C daytime highs and 0.4°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 2nd coolest month in Tacoma, averaging 3.1°C.
For January in Tacoma, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 5.8°C and lows of 0.4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 93% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 0.3 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 0.4 m/s (2013).
The wettest January on record was 2006 with 437 mm. On average, January sees 222 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 Tacoma 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.
