Jefferson City weather in January

In January, Jefferson City sees average daytime highs of 41°F and overnight lows near 24°F, with 2.4 in of precipitation across 7.5 wet days and about 9.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 12th-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 32% 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 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Jefferson City's 8th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Jefferson City's year-round climate.

Daytime high
41°
12th warmest
Overnight low
24°
1st coldest
Precipitation
2.4 in
7.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:30 AM – 5:05 PM
Cloud cover
60%
8th clearest
Wind
7 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.29 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Jefferson City is capital city of the U.S. state of Missouri and seat of Cole County.

Density
438/km²
people per km²
Founded
1821

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 Jefferson City reaches about 41°F in the afternoon and slips back to 24°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°F and 57°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)
14126
24126
34125
44125
54025
64025
74025
84025
94024
104024
114024
124024
134024
144024
154024
164024
174024
184024
194024
204024
214024
224124
234124
244124
254124
264124
274225
284225
294225
304225
314225

How January really feels in Jefferson City

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.

Jefferson City 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
Jan41° / 24°2.47.53.29.60.0
Feb46° / 28°2.47.22.610.51.2
Mar56° / 37°3.410.51.511.73.8
Apr67° / 47°5.011.40.3135.8
May75° / 57°4.913014.16.3
Jun84° / 66°4.212014.65.3
Jul89° / 70°3.410.1014.44.3
Aug87° / 67°3.18.7013.54.9
Sep80° / 59°3.57.9012.36.9
Oct68° / 48°3.28.40.1116.7
Nov55° / 37°3.280.89.93.7
Dec44° / 29°2.47.31.99.40.8

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% 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 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24357
34357
44357
54357
64357
74456
84456
94456
104456
114456
124555
134555
144555
154654
164654
174654
184555
194555
204555
214456
224456
234456
244456
254357
264357
274357
284258
294258
304258
314159

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Jefferson City gets around 2.4 in of rain and snow over 7.5 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 23% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1238
2238
3249
4249
5249
6259
72510
82510
92510
102510
112510
122510
132410
142410
15249
16249
17239
18239
19239
20229
212210
222210
232210
242210
252210
262211
272211
282211
292211
302211
312210

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
30991
31991

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 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:31 AM to 7:22 AM, and sunset from 4:52 PM to 5:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.37:314:52
29.47:324:53
39.47:324:54
49.47:324:55
59.47:324:55
69.47:324:56
79.47:324:57
89.47:324:58
99.57:324:59
109.57:325:00
119.57:325:01
129.57:315:02
139.57:315:03
149.57:315:04
159.67:315:05
169.67:305:05
179.67:305:07
189.67:305:08
199.77:295:09
209.77:295:10
219.77:295:11
229.77:285:12
239.87:285:13
249.87:275:14
259.87:265:15
269.87:265:16
279.97:255:17
289.97:255:18
299.97:245:19
3010.07:235:20
3110.07:225:22

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.29 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.98 kWh/m² to a high of 6.42 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.29 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.0Moderate
22.0Moderate
32.0Moderate
42.1Moderate
52.1Moderate
62.1Moderate
72.1Moderate
82.1Moderate
92.1Moderate
102.1Moderate
112.2Moderate
122.2Moderate
132.2Moderate
142.2Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.5Moderate
242.5Moderate
252.5Moderate
262.5Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.7Moderate
312.7Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Jefferson City

In seasonPeak

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

Jefferson City sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Jefferson City?

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

0.0
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 Jefferson City.

What to pack for Jefferson City in January

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

In January, Jefferson City sees daytime highs around 41°F and nights near 24°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City peaks around June 22 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 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 highHighModerateJun 22UV 10Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Nov 136 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr9Good
May12Good
Jun14Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct6Good
Nov6Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Jefferson City?

Jefferson City sits at 38.6°N, 92.2°W, 630 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Columbia, 27 mi away.

Topography around Jefferson City

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Jefferson City has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 299 ft around an average of 610 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 367 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 768 ft.

The land around Jefferson City is covered by trees (33%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 2 miles, trees (53%) and grassland (28%) within 10 miles, and trees (55%) and grassland (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
299 ft
10 miles
367 ft
50 miles
768 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Columbia 27 mi · Rolla 48 mi · Sedalia 58 mi · Fort Leonard Wood 60 mi · Wentzville 73 mi · O'Fallon 81 mi · Wildwood 81 mi · Saint Peters 85 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 Jefferson City (38.5767°, -92.1735°, elevation 630 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).