Meridian weather in January

In January, Meridian sees average daytime highs of 57°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 4.4 in of precipitation across 9.4 wet days and about 10.1 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 57°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 54 min at the start of January to 10 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Meridian's 6th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Meridian's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
12th warmest
Overnight low
38°
1st coldest
Precipitation
4.4 in
9.4 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
7:01 AM – 5:07 PM
Cloud cover
57%
6th clearest
Wind
7 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
2.73 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Meridian is city in and the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States.

Density
281/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

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 57°F through the month.

A typical January day in Meridian reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 43°F and 70°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°F cooler than December and about 4°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15739
25739
35739
45739
55739
65739
75739
85739
95738
105738
115738
125738
135738
145738
155738
165738
175738
185738
195738
205738
215738
225738
235838
245838
255838
265838
275838
285838
295839
305839
315839

How January really feels in Meridian

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

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Meridian 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 38°4.49.410.14.2
Feb62° / 42°4.59.810.85.2
Mar69° / 48°4.810.111.86.4
Apr76° / 55°4.18.712.87.1
May83° / 63°4.01013.65.9
Jun89° / 70°3.712.114.14.0
Jul91° / 73°4.415.913.93.2
Aug91° / 72°4.112.913.23.5
Sep87° / 67°3.18.312.25.1
Oct77° / 56°3.36.911.27.5
Nov67° / 46°3.67.910.36.6
Dec59° / 40°4.69.89.94.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% 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 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24555
34654
44654
54555
64555
74555
84654
94753
104654
114555
124555
134654
144654
154654
164654
174852
184852
194852
204852
214852
224951
234951
244951
254951
264951
274852
284852
294852
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Meridian gets around 4.4 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 31% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
132
232
332
432
531
631
731
830
930
1030
1130
1230
1330
1430
1530
1631
1731
1831
1931
2031
2131
2231
2331
2431
2531
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031
3131

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 87% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
185771
284871
384871
485861
584961
684961
784961
884961
985951
1085951
1185951
1286851
1386851
1486851
1587841
1688741
1788741
1889740
1990640
2090640
2190640
2290640
2390640
2491540
2591540
2691540
2790640
2890640
2990640
3089641
3189641

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 54 min at the start of January to 10 h 24 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 7:01 AM to 6:56 AM, and sunset from 4:55 PM to 5:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.97:014:55
29.97:014:56
39.97:014:57
49.97:014:57
59.97:014:58
610.07:024:59
710.07:025:00
810.07:025:00
910.07:025:01
1010.07:025:02
1110.07:025:03
1210.07:025:04
1310.07:025:04
1410.17:025:05
1510.17:015:06
1610.17:015:07
1710.17:015:08
1810.17:015:09
1910.17:015:09
2010.27:005:10
2110.27:005:11
2210.27:005:12
2310.27:005:13
2410.26:595:14
2510.36:595:15
2610.36:585:16
2710.36:585:17
2810.36:585:18
2910.46:575:18
3010.46:575:19
3110.46:565:20

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.73 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.73 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.6Moderate
102.6Moderate
112.6Moderate
122.6Moderate
132.6Moderate
142.7Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.7Moderate
182.8Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.9Moderate
253.0Moderate
263.0Moderate
273.0Moderate
283.0Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Meridian?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Meridian for sightseeing.

What to pack for Meridian in January

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

In January, Meridian sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 38°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Meridian 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 Meridian peaks around July 14 at about 10 (very high) — 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 highHighModerateJul 14UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar6High
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Meridian 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 Meridian 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 1721 µg/m³Jan 146 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Meridian?

Meridian sits at 32.4°N, 88.7°W, 344 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Laurel, 53 mi away.

Topography around Meridian

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Meridian has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 292 ft around an average of 364 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 413 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 696 ft.

The land around Meridian is covered by trees (58%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, trees (82%) within 10 miles, and trees (89%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
292 ft
10 miles
413 ft
50 miles
696 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Laurel 53 mi · Brandon 75 mi · Starkville 75 mi · Hattiesburg 80 mi · Columbus 80 mi · Madison 83 mi · Ridgeland 83 mi · Pearl 84 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 Meridian (32.3643°, -88.7037°, elevation 344 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).