Blacksburg weather in January

In January, Blacksburg sees average daytime highs of 42°F and overnight lows near 26°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 9.2 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 42°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 30 min at the start of January to 10 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Blacksburg's 10th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Blacksburg's year-round climate.

Daytime high
42°
12th warmest
Overnight low
26°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
9.2 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
7:40 AM – 5:22 PM
Cloud cover
64%
10th clearest
Wind
8 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.4
out of 10

Blacksburg is town in Virginia, United States.

Density
857/km²
people per km²
Founded
1798

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 42°F through the month.

A typical January day in Blacksburg reaches about 42°F in the afternoon and slips back to 26°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°F and 57°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°F cooler than December and about 3°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14328
24328
34328
44328
54328
64328
74328
84327
94327
104327
114327
124227
134227
144226
154226
164226
174226
184226
194226
204226
214226
224226
234225
244225
254225
264226
274226
284226
294326
304326
314326

How January really feels in Blacksburg

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 31 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
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.

Blacksburg weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan42° / 26°3.19.239.70.4
Feb46° / 28°2.98.83.210.61.2
Mar54° / 35°3.8112.311.73.2
Apr64° / 44°3.110.70.412.95.6
May71° / 52°3.311.80146.2
Jun78° / 60°3.011.8014.56.4
Jul82° / 64°2.812.5014.36.0
Aug81° / 63°2.510.4013.46.4
Sep75° / 56°3.18.5012.37.1
Oct65° / 45°2.67.20.2116.2
Nov54° / 35°2.67.50.4103.5
Dec45° / 30°3.18.52.39.51.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% 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 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
23961
33961
43961
53961
63862
73862
83862
93862
103862
113862
123862
133862
143862
153862
163961
174060
184060
194159
204159
214159
224159
234357
244357
254357
264258
274357
284357
294357
304258
314258

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Blacksburg gets around 3.1 in of rain and snow over 9.2 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 31% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1267
2277
3277
4288
5288
6298
7298
8298
9308
10309
11309
12309
133010
143110
153110
163110
173110
183111
193011
203011
213011
223011
233012
243012
253012
263012
273012
283012
293012
302912
312912

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in January

Winds average 8 mph in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97light breeze
107light breeze
117light breeze
127light breeze
137light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
247light breeze
257light breeze
267light breeze
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 30 min at the start of January to 10 h 06 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 7:40 AM to 7:33 AM, and sunset from 5:09 PM to 5:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.57:405:09
29.57:415:10
39.57:415:11
49.57:415:11
59.57:415:12
69.57:415:13
79.57:415:14
89.67:415:15
99.67:415:16
109.67:415:16
119.67:415:17
129.67:415:18
139.67:415:19
149.77:405:20
159.77:405:21
169.77:405:22
179.77:405:23
189.77:395:24
199.87:395:25
209.87:395:26
219.87:385:27
229.87:385:28
239.97:375:29
249.97:375:30
259.97:365:31
269.97:365:32
2710.07:355:33
2810.07:355:34
2910.07:345:35
3010.17:335:36
3110.17:335:37

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.09 kWh/m² to a high of 6.05 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.39 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
142.3Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.5Moderate
212.5Moderate
222.5Moderate
232.5Moderate
242.6Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Blacksburg?

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

0.4
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Blacksburg.

What to pack for Blacksburg in January

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

In January, Blacksburg sees daytime highs around 42°F and nights near 26°F. 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 Blacksburg in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Blacksburg peaks around July 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1416 µg/m³Dec 126 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Blacksburg?

Blacksburg sits at 37.2°N, 80.4°W, 2,077 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Christiansburg, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Blacksburg

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Blacksburg.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Blacksburg has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 558 ft around an average of 2,119 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,592 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,678 ft.

The land around Blacksburg is covered by trees (52%), grassland (26%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 2 miles, trees (75%) and grassland (21%) within 10 miles, and trees (81%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
558 ft
10 miles
2,592 ft
50 miles
3,678 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Christiansburg 6.8 mi · Radford 11 mi · Salem 21 mi · Cave Spring 22 mi · Roanoke 26 mi · Beckley 57 mi · Eden 63 mi · West Lynchburg 69 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

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 Blacksburg (37.2296°, -80.4139°, elevation 2,077 ft), 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).