Helena weather in January

In January, Helena sees average daytime highs of 54°F and overnight lows near 36°F, with 4.8 in of precipitation across 9.8 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 54°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 48 min at the start of January to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Helena's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Helena's year-round climate.

Daytime high
54°
12th warmest
Overnight low
36°
1st coldest
Precipitation
4.8 in
9.8 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
6:56 AM – 4:57 PM
Cloud cover
58%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Helena is city in Alabama, United States.

Density
341/km²
people per km²
Founded
1845

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 54°F through the month.

A typical January day in Helena reaches about 54°F in the afternoon and slips back to 36°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 41°F and 67°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°F cooler than December and about 4°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15437
25437
35437
45437
55437
65437
75437
85437
95437
105437
115436
125436
135436
145436
155436
165436
175436
185436
195436
205436
215436
225436
235536
245536
255536
265536
275536
285536
295536
305636
315637

How January really feels in Helena

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 30 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
30
wind chill below the day's low

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

Helena weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan54° / 36°4.89.80.5103.4
Feb59° / 39°5.110.30.310.84.4
Mar66° / 46°5.5110.211.76.0
Apr74° / 53°4.39.2012.87.0
May81° / 62°3.89.8013.76.4
Jun87° / 69°4.112.9014.24.4
Jul89° / 72°4.414.40143.7
Aug89° / 71°3.812.6013.24.0
Sep84° / 65°3.37.7012.25.8
Oct75° / 54°3.37011.27.5
Nov64° / 44°3.97.8010.36.2
Dec56° / 39°5.010.10.19.83.9

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24357
34456
44357
54357
64357
74357
84357
94357
104357
114357
124456
134456
144357
154555
164555
174555
184753
194753
204852
214951
225050
235149
245149
255149
265149
275149
285149
295149
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Helena gets around 4.8 in of rain and snow over 9.8 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 32% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1321
2321
3321
4321
5321
6322
7322
8322
9322
10322
11322
12322
13332
14332
15332
16332
17332
18332
19322
20322
21322
22322
23322
24321
25321
26321
27321
28321
29321
30331
31331

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 91% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
188741
288741
388741
489740
589740
689740
789740
889740
990730
1090730
1191630
1291630
1391630
1491630
1591630
1691630
1791630
1892620
1993520
2093520
2193520
2293520
2393520
2493520
2593520
2693520
2793520
2893520
2993520
3093520
3193520

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 48 min at the start of January to 10 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:56 AM to 6:50 AM, and sunset from 4:45 PM to 5:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.86:564:45
29.86:564:46
39.86:564:47
49.96:564:48
59.96:564:48
69.96:564:49
79.96:564:50
89.96:574:51
99.96:574:51
109.96:574:52
119.96:574:53
1210.06:574:54
1310.06:564:55
1410.06:564:56
1510.06:564:56
1610.06:564:57
1710.06:564:58
1810.16:564:59
1910.16:555:00
2010.16:555:01
2110.16:555:02
2210.16:545:03
2310.26:545:04
2410.26:545:05
2510.26:535:05
2610.26:535:06
2710.26:525:07
2810.36:525:08
2910.36:515:09
3010.36:515:10
3110.36:505:11

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.64 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.35 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.64 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.3Moderate
22.4Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.5Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.6Moderate
152.6Moderate
162.6Moderate
172.6Moderate
182.7Moderate
192.7Moderate
202.7Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.9Moderate
272.9Moderate
283.0Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.0Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Helena?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Helena.

What to pack for Helena in January

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

In January, Helena sees daytime highs around 54°F and nights near 36°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Helena in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Helena peaks around July 14 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateJul 14UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Helena 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 Helena is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.4× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1820 µg/m³Jan 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Helena?

Helena sits at 33.3°N, 86.8°W, 417 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Pelham, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Helena

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Helena has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 476 ft around an average of 489 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,050 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,814 ft.

The land around Helena is covered by trees (69%) within 2 miles, trees (78%) within 10 miles, and trees (87%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
476 ft
10 miles
1,050 ft
50 miles
1,814 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Pelham 1.9 mi · Alabaster 3.7 mi · Hoover 8.1 mi · Bessemer 9.9 mi · Vestavia Hills 11 mi · Homewood 12 mi · Hueytown 14 mi · Mountain Brook 15 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 Helena (33.2962°, -86.8436°, elevation 417 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).