Seattle weather in January
Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Poor
Best time to visit: July – September
What is the weather like in Seattle in January?
In January, Seattle is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 8.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 183 mm. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Seattle.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Day | 7° | 7° | 8° |
| Night | 2° | 2° | 1° |
| Sea | 9° | 8° | 8° |
| Sun | 2 h | 3 h | 4 h |
| Rain days | 19 | 19 | 16 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min07:53 – 16:43
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 18 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 78 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 2 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−8America/Los_Angeles
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in January
- Warm jacket
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Seattle in January: quick answers
Is Seattle hot in January?
No. In January, Seattle is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C and nights drop to about 2 °C.
Can you swim in Seattle in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 8.1 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Seattle in January?
It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 183 mm.
Seattle month by month
The whole year in SeattleAll destinations: USAWhere to go in JanuarySea temperature in January
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences