Grand Junction weather in January

In January, Grand Junction sees average daytime highs of 34°F and overnight lows near 13°F, with 1.5 in of precipitation across 7.5 wet days and about 9.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 33°F in the first days to 36°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% 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 Grand Junction's 8th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grand Junction's year-round climate.

Daytime high
34°
12th warmest
Overnight low
13°
1st coldest
Precipitation
1.5 in
7.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 30 min
7:37 AM – 5:10 PM
Cloud cover
48%
8th clearest
Wind
3 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Grand Junction is city in and county seat of Mesa County, Colorado, United States.

Density
588/km²
people per km²
Founded
1882

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 33°F in the first days to 36°F by the end.

A typical January day in Grand Junction reaches about 34°F in the afternoon and slips back to 13°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°F and 43°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 5°F cooler than February.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13212
23212
33312
43312
53313
63313
73313
83313
93313
103313
113313
123313
133413
143413
153413
163413
173414
183414
193414
203414
213514
223514
233514
243514
253514
263514
273514
283515
293615
303615
313615

How January really feels in Grand Junction

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
23 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Grand Junction 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
Jan34° / 13°1.57.57.29.60.0
Feb39° / 19°1.798.110.50.0
Mar49° / 27°2.09.56.511.72.2
Apr58° / 34°2.09.73.8134.5
May70° / 44°1.98.80.614.16.8
Jun82° / 53°1.04.8014.77.0
Jul87° / 60°2.28.6014.55.1
Aug83° / 58°3.211.7013.55.9
Sep75° / 49°2.78.90.112.37.3
Oct62° / 37°2.08.11.6115.8
Nov47° / 25°1.774.99.91.6
Dec35° / 15°1.57.37.39.30.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% 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 43%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25545
35545
45545
55545
65545
75545
85545
95644
105743
115743
125743
135842
145842
155842
165941
175842
185941
195941
205941
215941
225941
235842
245842
255842
265842
275842
285842
295842
305842
315743

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Grand Junction gets around 1.5 in of rain and snow over 7.5 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 24% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12324
22324
32324
42323
52323
62323
72323
82323
92222
102222
112222
122222
132222
142222
152222
162222
172322
182322
192322
202423
212423
222523
232524
242524
252524
262624
272624
282625
292625
302625
312625

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 3 mph in January, the calmest month.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 3 mph on the calmest days to 3 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

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 7:38 AM to 7:29 AM, and sunset from 4:56 PM to 5:26 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.37:384:56
29.37:394:57
39.37:394:58
49.37:394:59
59.37:394:59
69.47:395:00
79.47:395:01
89.47:395:02
99.47:395:03
109.47:395:04
119.47:385:05
129.57:385:06
139.57:385:07
149.57:385:08
159.57:385:09
169.57:375:10
179.67:375:11
189.67:375:12
199.67:365:13
209.67:365:14
219.77:355:15
229.77:355:16
239.77:345:17
249.77:345:18
259.87:335:19
269.87:335:20
279.87:325:21
289.97:315:23
299.97:315:24
309.97:305:25
319.97:295:26

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.58 kWh/m² to a high of 8.07 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.92 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.7Moderate
22.7Moderate
32.7Moderate
42.7Moderate
52.7Moderate
62.7Moderate
72.7Moderate
82.7Moderate
92.8Moderate
102.8Moderate
112.8Moderate
122.8Moderate
132.9Moderate
142.9Moderate
152.9Moderate
162.9Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.2Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.2Moderate
273.3Moderate
283.3Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.4Moderate
313.4Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Grand Junction?

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
9th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Grand Junction in January

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

In January, Grand Junction sees daytime highs around 34°F and nights near 13°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Grand Junction 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 Grand Junction peaks around July 16 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 16UV 11Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep7Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Grand Junction?

Grand Junction sits at 39.1°N, 108.6°W, 4,593 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Clifton, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around Grand Junction

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Grand Junction has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 308 ft around an average of 4,613 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,176 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,178 ft.

The land around Grand Junction is covered by artificial surfaces (53%) within 2 miles, grassland (29%) within 10 miles, and trees (38%), shrubs (24%) and grassland (24%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
308 ft
10 miles
3,176 ft
50 miles
7,178 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Clifton 5.6 mi · Montrose 55 mi · Moab 63 mi · Telluride 88 mi · Aspen 93 mi · Durango 129 mi · Farmington 162 mi · Rock Springs 178 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 Junction (39.0639°, -108.5507°, elevation 4,593 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).