Kara-Balta weather in January

In January, Kara-Balta sees average daytime highs of -3°C and overnight lows near -12°C, with 39 mm of precipitation across 8.5 wet days and about 9.2 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near -3°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% 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 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Kara-Balta's 8th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kara-Balta's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-3°
12th warmest
Overnight low
-12°
1st coldest
Precipitation
39 mm
8.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 12 min
8:39 AM – 5:49 PM
Cloud cover
60%
8th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Kara-Balta is place in Chuy Region, Kyrgyzstan.

Density
1,504/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 -3°C through the month.

A typical January day in Kara-Balta reaches about -3°C in the afternoon and slips back to -12°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -9°C and 2°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and about 3°C cooler than February.

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

How January really feels in Kara-Balta

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.

Kara-Balta weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-3° / -12°398.58.59.20.0
Feb-1° / -10°569.79.410.30.0
Mar / -4°961410.211.60.5
Apr12° / 15416.69.513.12.8
May17° / 166204.414.44.2
Jun22° / 10°15921.40.615.14.9
Jul24° / 13°16221.4014.85.4
Aug23° / 11°12418.20.213.75.9
Sep18° / 10416.82.912.35.2
Oct12° / 80125.710.83.0
Nov / -6°639.36.79.50.3
Dec-2° / -11°488.58.68.90.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24456
34456
44357
54357
64357
74258
84258
94258
104258
114258
124258
134258
144258
154258
164258
174258
184258
194258
204258
214258
224258
234159
244159
254159
264060
274060
283961
293961
303862
313763

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Kara-Balta gets around 39 mm of rain and snow over 8.5 wet days in January, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 28% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 9 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12525
22525
32525
42525
52626
62626
72727
82827
92828
102928
112929
122929
132929
142929
152929
162929
172929
182929
192829
202829
212829
222828
232828
242828
252828
262929
272929
283029
293030
303130
313130

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 8 h 54 min at the start of January to 9 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 8:41 AM to 8:28 AM, and sunset from 5:35 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.98:415:35
28.98:415:35
38.98:415:36
48.98:415:37
58.98:415:38
69.08:415:39
79.08:415:40
89.08:415:41
99.08:415:42
109.08:405:43
119.18:405:44
129.18:405:45
139.18:405:46
149.18:395:47
159.28:395:48
169.28:395:49
179.28:385:50
189.28:385:51
199.38:375:53
209.38:375:54
219.38:365:55
229.38:355:56
239.48:355:57
249.48:345:59
259.48:336:00
269.58:336:01
279.58:326:02
289.58:316:04
299.68:306:05
309.68:296:06
319.68:286:07

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.43 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.99 kWh/m² to a high of 6.5 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.43 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.1Moderate
22.1Moderate
32.1Moderate
42.1Moderate
52.2Moderate
62.2Moderate
72.2Moderate
82.2Moderate
92.2Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.4Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.5Moderate
182.5Moderate
192.5Moderate
202.5Moderate
212.6Moderate
222.6Moderate
232.6Moderate
242.6Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.8Moderate
292.8Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Kara-Balta

In seasonPeak

None of Kara-Balta's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Kara-Balta's rainy season runs March–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Kara-Balta?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kara-Balta.

What to pack for Kara-Balta in January

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

In January, Kara-Balta sees daytime highs around -3°C and nights near -12°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Kara-Balta 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 Kara-Balta peaks around May 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highHighModerateLowMay 20UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr5High
May10Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Kara-Balta 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 Kara-Balta is worst in May — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1417 µg/m³Dec 206 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov8Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kara-Balta?

Kara-Balta sits at 42.8°N, 73.8°E, 789 m above sea level, in Kyrgyzstan. The nearest listed city is Belovodskoye, 21 km away.

MerkeBishkekLebedinovkaKantShuIvanovkaTokmok

Topography around Kara-Balta

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kara-Balta has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 109 m around an average of 786 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 583 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,354 m.

The land around Kara-Balta is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) and cropland (21%) within 3 km, cropland (77%) within 16 km, and grassland (54%) and cropland (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
109 m
16 km
583 m
80 km
4,354 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icemoss and lichen
January weather nearby: Belovodskoye 21 km · Merke 54 km · Bishkek 61 km · Lebedinovka 68 km · Kant 82 km · Shu 88 km · Ivanovka 101 km · Tokmok 119 km

Kyrgyzstan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 33% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,081
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
74%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.7
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 443
Religion
Muslim 90%Christian 7%other 3%

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 Kara-Balta (42.8142°, 73.8481°, elevation 789 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).