Gaithersburg weather in January

In January, Gaithersburg sees average daytime highs of 41°F and overnight lows near 27°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 8.6 wet days and about 9.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 41°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 18 min at the start of January to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Gaithersburg's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gaithersburg's year-round climate.

Daytime high
41°
12th warmest
Overnight low
27°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
8.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 30 min
7:32 AM – 5:04 PM
Cloud cover
61%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Gaithersburg is city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States; suburb of Washington, D.C..

Density
2,518/km²
people per km²
Founded
1802

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 41°F through the month.

A typical January day in Gaithersburg reaches about 41°F in the afternoon and slips back to 27°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°F and 55°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 4°F cooler than December and about 3°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14329
24329
34229
44229
54229
64229
74229
84229
94228
104228
114128
124128
134128
144128
154127
164127
174027
184027
194026
204026
214026
224026
234026
244026
254026
264126
274126
284126
294126
304126
314126

How January really feels in Gaithersburg

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.

Gaithersburg 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
Jan41° / 27°3.18.63.19.60.1
Feb44° / 29°2.88.43.210.50.8
Mar53° / 36°3.810.22.311.73.0
Apr65° / 46°3.410.40.2135.7
May73° / 55°3.811.5014.16.5
Jun83° / 64°3.610.8014.75.7
Jul87° / 69°4.011.3014.54.6
Aug85° / 67°3.410.5013.55.3
Sep78° / 60°4.59.3012.36.9
Oct66° / 49°3.47.80116.4
Nov55° / 38°3.07.70.39.93.7
Dec45° / 32°3.58.81.99.31.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% 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 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24654
34753
44654
54654
64654
74555
84555
94456
104456
114456
124456
134456
144357
154357
164456
174456
184456
194357
204357
214456
224456
234555
244654
254654
264654
274654
284654
294654
304654
314654

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Gaithersburg gets around 3.1 in of rain and snow over 8.6 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 28% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1277
2277
3287
4288
5298
6298
7308
8308
9309
10309
11309
123010
133010
143010
153010
162911
172911
182911
192811
202811
212712
222712
232712
242612
252612
262612
272612
282612
292612
302612
312612

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 (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49811
59811
69811
79811
89811
99811
109811
119811
129811
139811
149910
159910
169910
179910
189910
199910
209910
219910
229910
239910
2410000
2510000
2610000
2710000
2810000
2910000
3010000
3110000

Wind in January

Winds average 7 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 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
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 18 min at the start of January to 9 h 54 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 7:33 AM to 7:24 AM, and sunset from 4:51 PM to 5:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.37:334:51
29.37:334:51
39.37:334:52
49.37:344:53
59.37:344:54
69.47:344:55
79.47:344:56
89.47:344:56
99.47:344:57
109.47:334:58
119.47:334:59
129.57:335:00
139.57:335:01
149.57:335:02
159.57:325:03
169.57:325:04
179.67:325:05
189.67:315:06
199.67:315:07
209.67:315:08
219.77:305:09
229.77:305:10
239.77:295:11
249.77:295:13
259.87:285:14
269.87:275:15
279.87:275:16
289.87:265:17
299.97:255:18
309.97:255:19
319.97:245:20

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.91 kWh/m² to a high of 6.15 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.21 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.0Dim
22.0Dim
32.0Dim
42.0Dim
52.0Dim
62.0Moderate
72.0Moderate
82.0Moderate
92.0Moderate
102.1Moderate
112.1Moderate
122.1Moderate
132.1Moderate
142.1Moderate
152.2Moderate
162.2Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.5Moderate
262.5Moderate
272.5Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.7Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Gaithersburg?

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

0.1
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 Gaithersburg.

What to pack for Gaithersburg in January

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

In January, Gaithersburg sees daytime highs around 41°F and nights near 27°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 Gaithersburg 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 Gaithersburg peaks around July 11 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Gaithersburg 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 Gaithersburg is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (November, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1317 µg/m³Nov 129 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gaithersburg?

Gaithersburg sits at 39.1°N, 77.2°W, 502 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Montgomery Village, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Gaithersburg

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Gaithersburg has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 259 ft around an average of 453 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 912 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,375 ft.

The land around Gaithersburg is covered by trees (52%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 2 miles, trees (67%) within 10 miles, and trees (60%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
259 ft
10 miles
912 ft
50 miles
2,375 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Montgomery Village 2.5 mi · Redland 3.1 mi · Germantown 4.3 mi · Rockville 5.0 mi · North Potomac 5.6 mi · Olney 7.5 mi · North Bethesda 8.1 mi · Aspen Hill 8.1 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 Gaithersburg (39.1434°, -77.2014°, elevation 502 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).