Idaho Falls weather in January

In January, Idaho Falls sees average daytime highs of 31°F and overnight lows near 17°F, with 1.4 in of precipitation across 9.4 wet days and about 9.1 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 30°F in the first days to 33°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 48 min at the start of January to 9 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Idaho Falls's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Idaho Falls's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
12th warmest
Overnight low
17°
1st coldest
Precipitation
1.4 in
9.4 wet days
Daylight
9 h 06 min
8:04 AM – 5:11 PM
Cloud cover
65%
11th clearest
Wind
6 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
2.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Idaho Falls is city in and county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States.

Density
988/km²
people per km²
Founded
1864

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 30°F in the first days to 33°F by the end.

A typical January day in Idaho Falls reaches about 31°F in the afternoon and slips back to 17°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°F and 40°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)
12916
22916
33016
43016
53016
63016
73016
83016
93017
103017
113017
123117
133117
143117
153117
163117
173117
183117
193117
203117
213117
223217
233217
243217
253217
263217
273217
283218
293318
303318
313318

How January really feels in Idaho Falls

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.

Idaho Falls weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 17°1.49.410.39.10.0
Feb36° / 21°1.17.87.310.20.0
Mar47° / 29°1.49.24.611.61.6
Apr56° / 34°1.811.2313.23.7
May66° / 42°2.19.60.814.56.1
Jun76° / 50°1.260.115.27.5
Jul87° / 57°0.53.3014.95.9
Aug85° / 55°0.53.5013.86.5
Sep74° / 47°1.04.20.112.38.0
Oct58° / 36°1.36.51.210.85.0
Nov43° / 26°1.27.45.59.50.7
Dec31° / 18°1.59.49.78.80.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 63%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23664
33565
43565
53565
63565
73565
83664
93664
103664
113664
123664
133763
143763
153763
163763
173763
183862
193862
203862
213862
223961
233862
243862
253862
263862
273862
283862
293862
303862
313961

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Idaho Falls gets around 1.4 in of rain and snow over 9.4 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 30% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13032
23033
33133
43133
53133
63133
73134
83134
93134
103234
113235
123235
133235
143235
153235
163235
173235
183235
193235
203135
213135
223134
233034
243033
252933
262932
272831
282730
292729
302729
312628

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 6 mph in January, the calmest month.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 48 min at the start of January to 9 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 8:07 AM to 7:54 AM, and sunset from 4:56 PM to 5:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.88:074:56
28.88:074:57
38.88:074:58
48.98:074:58
58.98:074:59
68.98:075:00
78.98:075:01
88.98:075:02
98.98:065:03
109.08:065:04
119.08:065:05
129.08:065:06
139.08:055:07
149.18:055:08
159.18:055:10
169.18:045:11
179.18:045:12
189.28:035:13
199.28:035:14
209.28:025:15
219.38:025:17
229.38:015:18
239.38:005:19
249.38:005:20
259.47:595:22
269.47:585:23
279.47:575:24
289.57:565:25
299.57:555:27
309.67:555:28
319.67:545:29

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.01 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.7 kWh/m² to a high of 7.94 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 2.01 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.9Dim
91.9Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.9Dim
131.9Dim
141.9Dim
152.0Dim
162.0Moderate
172.0Moderate
182.0Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.1Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.2Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Idaho Falls?

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
8th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Idaho Falls.

What to pack for Idaho Falls in January

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

In January, Idaho Falls sees daytime highs around 31°F and nights near 17°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 Idaho Falls 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 Idaho Falls peaks around July 12 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateVery highHighModerateLowJul 12UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec2Low

Air quality in Idaho Falls 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 Idaho Falls is worst in August — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.1× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1420 µg/m³Dec 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May10Good
Jun9Good
Jul17Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Idaho Falls?

Idaho Falls sits at 43.5°N, 112.0°W, 4,705 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Rexburg, 28 mi away.

Topography around Idaho Falls

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Idaho Falls has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 95 ft around an average of 4,698 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,693 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,561 ft.

The land around Idaho Falls is covered by artificial surfaces (33%) and trees (22%) within 2 miles, cropland (45%) and grassland (38%) within 10 miles, and grassland (54%) and cropland (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
95 ft
10 miles
1,693 ft
50 miles
5,561 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Rexburg 28 mi · Pocatello 46 mi · Conda 57 mi · Logan 120 mi · Brigham City 135 mi · Twin Falls 137 mi · North Ogden 149 mi · Ogden 155 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 Idaho Falls (43.4666°, -112.0341°, elevation 4,705 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).