Bristol weather in January

In January, Bristol sees average daytime highs of 35°F and overnight lows near 20°F, with 3.6 in of precipitation across 9.5 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 hours at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Bristol's 6th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bristol's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
12th warmest
Overnight low
20°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.6 in
9.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:22 AM – 4:40 PM
Cloud cover
59%
6th clearest
Wind
8 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
2.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Bristol is city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States.

Density
871/km²
people per km²
Founded
1785

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 35°F through the month.

A typical January day in Bristol reaches about 35°F in the afternoon and slips back to 20°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°F and 48°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 5°F cooler than December and about 3°F cooler than February.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13723
23623
33623
43623
53622
63622
73522
83522
93522
103521
113521
123521
133520
143420
153420
163420
173420
183420
193419
203419
213419
223419
233419
243419
253419
263419
273419
283420
293520
303520
313520

How January really feels in Bristol

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
29 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Bristol weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 20°3.69.56.39.30.0
Feb37° / 22°3.18.75.410.30.0
Mar45° / 29°4.311.14.511.71.1
Apr58° / 40°3.911.21.213.14.0
May68° / 49°3.811.6014.36.0
Jun77° / 59°4.511.90156.4
Jul82° / 64°4.311.2014.76.1
Aug80° / 63°4.611013.76.4
Sep73° / 55°4.39.2012.36.9
Oct61° / 44°4.49.50.210.95.2
Nov49° / 35°3.58.71.19.62.2
Dec40° / 26°4.310.24.890.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
24951
34951
44951
54951
64753
74753
84753
94654
104654
114654
124654
134555
144654
154654
164654
174753
184753
194753
204753
214753
224753
234852
244852
254852
265050
275050
285050
295050
304951
315050

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Bristol gets around 3.6 in of rain and snow over 9.5 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 31% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13418
23419
33419
43420
53520
63521
73521
83421
93422
103422
113322
123322
133322
143222
153121
163121
173021
183021
192920
202920
212820
222819
232719
242719
252719
262718
272718
282718
292718
302718
312818

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 8 mph in January.

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

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 hours 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 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:24 AM to 7:13 AM, and sunset from 4:26 PM to 4:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.07:244:26
29.07:244:27
39.07:244:27
49.17:244:28
59.17:244:29
69.17:244:30
79.17:244:31
89.17:244:32
99.17:244:33
109.27:244:34
119.27:244:35
129.27:244:36
139.27:234:37
149.27:234:38
159.37:234:39
169.37:224:40
179.37:224:41
189.37:214:42
199.47:214:43
209.47:214:44
219.47:204:45
229.57:194:47
239.57:194:48
249.57:184:49
259.57:174:50
269.67:174:51
279.67:164:53
289.67:154:54
299.77:144:55
309.77:144:56
319.77:134:57

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.67 kWh/m² to a high of 5.96 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.04 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.9Dim
131.9Dim
141.9Dim
152.0Dim
162.0Moderate
172.0Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Bristol

In seasonPeak

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

Bristol sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Bristol?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Bristol.

What to pack for Bristol in January

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

In January, Bristol sees daytime highs around 35°F and nights near 20°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Bristol in January

The nearest coast averages about 39°F 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 38 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 36°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 4 to Sep 28 — about 2.9 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan39Bracing
Feb36Bracing
Mar37Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun64Cool
Jul71Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep71Refreshing
Oct64Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in Bristol 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 Bristol peaks around July 11 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 8Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Bristol 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 Bristol is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1615 µg/m³Nov 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bristol?

Bristol sits at 41.7°N, 72.9°W, 305 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Plainville, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Bristol

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bristol has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 840 ft around an average of 545 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,148 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,585 ft.

The land around Bristol is covered by trees (68%) within 2 miles, trees (81%) within 10 miles, and trees (77%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
840 ft
10 miles
1,148 ft
50 miles
2,585 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Plainville 5.0 mi · Wolcott 5.0 mi · Southington 6.2 mi · Farmington 6.8 mi · New Britain 8.7 mi · Waterbury 9.3 mi · Avon 11 mi · Newington 12 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 Bristol (41.6718°, -72.9493°, elevation 305 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. 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).