Sar-e Pul weather in January

In January, Sar-e Pul sees average daytime highs of 8°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 54 mm of precipitation across 9.4 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 8°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Sar-e Pul's 10th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sar-e Pul's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
1st coldest
Precipitation
54 mm
9.4 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
7:22 AM – 5:09 PM
Cloud cover
56%
10th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
2.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.5
out of 10

Sar-e Pul is capital of Sar-e Pol Province, Afghanistan.

Density
1,743/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 8°C through the month.

A typical January day in Sar-e Pul reaches about 8°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 1°C and 16°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and about 2°C cooler than February.

-10°10°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
19-2
29-2
39-2
49-3
58-3
68-3
78-3
88-3
98-3
108-3
118-3
128-3
138-3
148-3
158-3
168-3
178-3
188-3
198-3
208-3
218-3
228-3
238-3
248-3
259-3
269-2
279-2
289-2
299-2
309-2
319-2

How January really feels in Sar-e Pul

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Sar-e Pul weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -3°549.45.19.81.5
Feb10° / -1°6510.84.710.62.3
Mar15° / 8412.32.211.74.5
Apr21° / 669.80.212.96.7
May27° / 13°284.6013.97.6
Jun32° / 17°20.6014.45.6
Jul33° / 19°00.1014.24.8
Aug32° / 17°00013.45.9
Sep27° / 12°10.3012.28.7
Oct21° / 81.8011.18.6
Nov15° / 376.61.110.15.0
Dec10° / -1°427.63.49.62.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25446
35446
45446
55347
65347
75248
85248
95149
105149
115050
125050
134951
144951
154852
164852
174852
184852
194852
204753
214852
224753
234753
244654
254654
264654
274654
284654
294654
304654
314555

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Sar-e Pul gets around 54 mm of rain and snow over 9.4 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 30% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12614
22714
32715
42815
52815
62816
72916
82916
92917
102917
112917
122917
132917
142917
152917
162917
172917
182917
192917
202917
213017
223017
233117
243117
253217
263317
273317
283417
293518
303518
313618

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 6 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:22 AM to 7:15 AM, and sunset from 4:57 PM to 5:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.67:224:57
29.67:224:57
39.67:234:58
49.67:234:59
59.67:235:00
69.67:235:00
79.67:235:01
89.77:235:02
99.77:235:03
109.77:235:04
119.77:235:05
129.77:235:06
139.77:235:06
149.77:225:07
159.87:225:08
169.87:225:09
179.87:225:10
189.87:215:11
199.97:215:12
209.97:215:13
219.97:205:14
229.97:205:15
239.97:205:16
2410.07:195:17
2510.07:195:18
2610.07:185:19
2710.07:175:20
2810.17:175:21
2910.17:165:22
3010.17:165:23
3110.27:155:24

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.7 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.51 kWh/m² to a high of 7.86 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 2.7 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.6Moderate
62.6Moderate
72.6Moderate
82.6Moderate
92.6Moderate
102.6Moderate
112.6Moderate
122.6Moderate
132.6Moderate
142.7Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.7Moderate
182.7Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.9Moderate
272.9Moderate
283.0Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.0Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Sar-e Pul?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

1.5
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sar-e Pul.

What to pack for Sar-e Pul in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Sar-e Pul sees daytime highs around 8°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Sar-e Pul in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sar-e Pul peaks around July 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateJul 13UV 10Jan 10UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Sar-e Pul in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Sar-e Pul is worst in May — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 12 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 1027 µg/m³Dec 2312 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar21Moderate
Apr27Moderate
May28Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug21Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct19Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Sar-e Pul?

Sar-e Pul sits at 36.2°N, 65.9°E, 657 m above sea level, in Afghanistan. The nearest listed city is Shibirghān, 53 km away.

BalkhMaymanaAndkhoyMazār-e SharīfQarqīnTermez

Topography around Sar-e Pul

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sar-e Pul.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sar-e Pul has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 134 m around an average of 650 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 790 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,448 m.

The land around Sar-e Pul is covered by bare terrain (40%) and cropland (30%) within 3 km, bare terrain (43%) and grassland (37%) within 16 km, and grassland (50%) and bare terrain (40%) within 80 km.

3 km
134 m
16 km
790 m
80 km
3,448 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
January weather nearby: Shibirghān 53 km · Sang-e Chārak 61 km · Balkh 105 km · Maymana 108 km · Andkhoy 109 km · Mazār-e Sharīf 119 km · Qarqīn 134 km · Termez 164 km

Afghanistan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 17% of US
price level, 2024
GDP per capita
$417
2024
Happiness
1.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
31%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
4
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
15.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Muslim 100%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Sar-e Pul (36.2154°, 65.9325°, elevation 657 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).