Grand Island weather in January

In January, Grand Island sees average daytime highs of 35°F and overnight lows near 16°F, with 0.8 in of precipitation across 4 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 12th-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 41% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of January to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Grand Island's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grand Island's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
12th warmest
Overnight low
16°
1st coldest
Precipitation
0.8 in
4 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
8:02 AM – 5:24 PM
Cloud cover
52%
8th clearest
Wind
9 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
2.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Grand Island is city in and county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States.

Founded
1857

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 Grand Island reaches about 35°F in the afternoon and slips back to 16°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°F and 52°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°F cooler than December and about 5°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13416
23416
33415
43415
53415
63415
73415
83415
93415
103415
113415
123515
133515
143516
153516
163516
173516
183516
193516
203616
213616
223616
233617
243617
253617
263617
273617
283617
293717
303717
313717

How January really feels in Grand Island

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
31 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Grand Island 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 (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 16°0.843.69.40.0
Feb40° / 19°0.94.33.410.40.1
Mar51° / 29°2.06.92.511.72.7
Apr61° / 39°3.49.61.413.15.2
May71° / 51°5.112.30.114.36.3
Jun82° / 62°4.110.3014.96.1
Jul86° / 66°3.09014.65.2
Aug84° / 64°3.08.9013.65.9
Sep77° / 55°2.47.1012.37.5
Oct64° / 41°2.56.70.710.96.3
Nov49° / 29°1.34.91.99.72.5
Dec38° / 19°1.04.23.49.10.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35347
45347
55347
65347
75446
85446
95446
105545
115545
125545
135644
145644
155644
165644
175644
185644
195545
205545
215545
225347
235347
245248
255248
265248
275149
285149
295149
305149
315248

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Grand Island gets around 0.8 in of rain and snow over 4 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 13% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11311
21311
31311
41311
51311
61311
71311
81311
91311
101211
111211
121311
131311
141311
151311
161312
171312
181312
191312
201312
211412
221413
231413
241413
251413
261413
271413
281412
291412
301412
311412

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 9 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of January to 9 h 48 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 8:03 AM to 7:53 AM, and sunset from 5:10 PM to 5:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.18:035:10
29.18:035:11
39.18:045:11
49.18:045:12
59.28:045:13
69.28:045:14
79.28:045:15
89.28:045:16
99.28:035:17
109.28:035:18
119.38:035:18
129.38:035:19
139.38:035:20
149.38:025:22
159.38:025:23
169.48:025:24
179.48:015:25
189.48:015:26
199.48:005:27
209.58:005:28
219.57:595:29
229.57:595:30
239.67:585:31
249.67:585:33
259.67:575:34
269.67:565:35
279.77:565:36
289.77:555:37
299.77:545:38
309.87:535:40
319.87:535:41

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.44 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.07 kWh/m² to a high of 6.79 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.44 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.1Moderate
22.2Moderate
32.2Moderate
42.2Moderate
52.2Moderate
62.2Moderate
72.3Moderate
82.3Moderate
92.3Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.4Moderate
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
312.9Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Grand Island

In seasonPeak

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

Grand Island's rainy season runs April–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 Grand Island?

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
10th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Grand Island.

What to pack for Grand Island in January

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

In January, Grand Island sees daytime highs around 35°F and nights near 16°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 4 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Grand Island 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 Grand Island peaks around July 13 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 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Grand Island?

Grand Island sits at 40.9°N, 98.3°W, 1,860 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Hastings, 24 mi away.

Topography around Grand Island

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Grand Island has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 75 ft around an average of 1,857 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 190 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 948 ft.

The land around Grand Island is covered by artificial surfaces (43%), grassland (23%) and trees (20%) within 2 miles, cropland (65%) and grassland (23%) within 10 miles, and cropland (70%) and grassland (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
75 ft
10 miles
190 ft
50 miles
948 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Hastings 24 mi · Kearney 42 mi · Columbus 62 mi · Lincoln 88 mi · Norfolk 90 mi · Fremont 102 mi · Papillion 121 mi · La Vista 122 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 Grand Island (40.925°, -98.342°, elevation 1,860 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).