Shiraoi weather in January

In January, Shiraoi sees average daytime highs of -2°C and overnight lows near -7°C, with 47 mm of precipitation across 7.1 wet days and about 9.2 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near -2°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 54 min at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Shiraoi's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shiraoi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-2°
12th warmest
Overnight low
-7°
1st coldest
Precipitation
47 mm
7.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 12 min
7:08 AM – 4:20 PM
Cloud cover
62%
6th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.15 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Shiraoi is town in Shiraoi district, Hokkaidō, Japan.

Density
42/km²
people per km²
Founded
1954

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 -2°C through the month.

A typical January day in Shiraoi reaches about -2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -7°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -6°C and 1°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and on par with February.

-15°-10°-5°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-1-6
2-1-6
3-1-6
4-1-6
5-1-7
6-2-7
7-2-7
8-2-7
9-2-7
10-2-7
11-2-7
12-2-7
13-2-7
14-2-7
15-2-7
16-2-7
17-2-7
18-2-7
19-2-7
20-2-7
21-2-7
22-2-7
23-2-7
24-2-7
25-2-7
26-2-7
27-2-7
28-2-7
29-2-7
30-2-7
31-2-7

How January really feels in Shiraoi

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
31 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Shiraoi weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-2° / -7°477.18.29.20.0
Feb-1° / -7°456.97.710.30.0
Mar / -4°649.88.711.60.0
Apr / 8210.83.113.10.9
May12° / 11312.20.114.43.0
Jun16° / 12°9810.6015.14.7
Jul20° / 16°14313.3014.85.5
Aug22° / 18°19413.9013.75.8
Sep20° / 15°17713.5012.35.6
Oct14° / 11411.10.110.84.0
Nov / 8410.42.89.60.9
Dec / -5°648.88.68.90.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 28% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44951
54951
64951
74951
84951
95050
105050
115050
125050
135050
145050
154951
165050
175050
185050
195050
205050
215050
224951
234951
244852
254852
264852
274852
284753
294753
304654
314555

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Shiraoi gets around 47 mm of rain and snow over 7.1 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 23% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12631
22530
32430
42429
52328
62227
72226
82226
92125
102125
112125
122225
132225
142225
152325
162325
172325
182425
192426
202426
212526
222527
232527
242527
252527
262528
272428
282428
292427
302427
312327

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 16 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 54 min at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:10 AM to 6:58 AM, and sunset from 4:06 PM to 4:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.97:104:06
28.97:104:06
39.07:104:07
49.07:104:08
59.07:104:09
69.07:104:10
79.07:104:11
89.07:104:12
99.07:104:13
109.17:104:14
119.17:094:15
129.17:094:16
139.17:094:17
149.27:094:18
159.27:084:19
169.27:084:20
179.27:074:21
189.37:074:22
199.37:064:23
209.37:064:25
219.37:054:26
229.47:054:27
239.47:044:28
249.47:034:29
259.57:034:31
269.57:024:32
279.57:014:33
289.67:004:34
299.67:004:36
309.66:594:37
319.76:584:38

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.15 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.74 kWh/m² to a high of 5.48 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.15 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.9Dim
52.0Dim
62.0Dim
72.0Dim
82.0Moderate
92.0Moderate
102.0Moderate
112.0Moderate
122.0Moderate
132.1Moderate
142.1Moderate
152.1Moderate
162.1Moderate
172.1Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Shiraoi

In seasonPeak

In January, Shiraoi sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Shiraoi sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Shiraoi's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Shiraoi?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Shiraoi.

What to pack for Shiraoi in January

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

In January, Shiraoi sees daytime highs around -2°C and nights near -7°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Shiraoi in January

The nearest coast averages about 6°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 20 km away) is warmest in August at about 20°C and coldest in March near 4°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 17 to Aug 28 — about 0.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb4Bracing
Mar4Bracing
Apr5Bracing
May8Bracing
Jun13Bracing
Jul17Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep20Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec10Bracing

UV index in Shiraoi in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shiraoi peaks around August 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighHighVery highHighModerateLowAug 18UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun6High
Jul5Moderate
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Shiraoi 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 Shiraoi is worst in April — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1219 µg/m³Dec 158 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun12Moderate
Jul11Good
Aug10Good
Sep9Good
Oct11Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shiraoi?

Shiraoi sits at 42.5°N, 141.3°E, 5 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Noboribetsu, 18 km away.

Topography around Shiraoi

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Shiraoi.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Shiraoi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 114 m around an average of 14 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,028 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,858 m.

The land around Shiraoi is covered by water (38%) and trees (35%) within 3 km, trees (47%) and water (46%) within 16 km, and trees (44%) and water (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
114 m
16 km
1,028 m
80 km
1,858 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Noboribetsu 18 km · Tomakomai 23 km · Chitose 39 km · Muroran 39 km · Date 41 km · Eniwa 42 km · Kitahiroshima 51 km · Sapporo 57 km

Japan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Shintoism 49%Buddhism 46%other 4%Christianity 1%

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 Shiraoi (42.55°, 141.35°, elevation 5 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).