Moab weather in January

In January, Moab sees average daytime highs of 39°F and overnight lows near 20°F, with 0.9 in of precipitation across 5.5 wet days and about 9.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 37°F in the first days to 42°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% 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 Moab's 9th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Moab's year-round climate.

Daytime high
39°
12th warmest
Overnight low
20°
1st coldest
Precipitation
0.9 in
5.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:40 AM – 5:15 PM
Cloud cover
45%
9th clearest
Wind
4 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
2.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Moab is city in and county seat of Grand County, Utah, United States.

Density
424/km²
people per km²
Founded
1878

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 37°F in the first days to 42°F by the end.

A typical January day in Moab reaches about 39°F in the afternoon and slips back to 20°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°F and 49°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 7°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13717
23718
33718
43718
53718
63818
73818
83818
93819
103819
113819
123919
133919
143919
153920
163920
174020
184020
194020
204020
214021
224021
234121
244121
254121
264121
274122
284222
294222
304222
314222

How January really feels in Moab

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
15 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Moab weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan39° / 20°0.95.54.59.60.0
Feb46° / 26°0.96.23.910.51.4
Mar57° / 34°1.05.52.611.74.6
Apr64° / 40°0.95.71.2136.5
May75° / 50°0.63.90.114.18.0
Jun87° / 60°0.31.9014.66.1
Jul92° / 67°0.53014.44.0
Aug89° / 64°0.84.8013.55.0
Sep80° / 55°1.25.3012.37.6
Oct66° / 42°1.04.90.3117.1
Nov52° / 31°0.94.82.39.93.2
Dec40° / 20°0.954.39.40.2

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
36040
46040
55941
66040
76040
86139
96139
106238
116337
126337
136337
146337
156337
166337
176337
186337
196337
206238
216238
226238
236238
246238
256040
266139
276139
286040
296040
306040
316040

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Moab gets around 0.9 in of rain and snow over 5.5 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 17% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11615
21615
31614
41614
51614
61613
71613
81513
91512
101512
111512
121512
131612
141613
151613
161713
171714
181814
191815
201915
211915
221916
232016
242016
252016
262017
272016
282016
292016
302016
312015

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 4 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

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 7:41 AM to 7:32 AM, and sunset from 5:02 PM to 5:31 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.37:415:02
29.47:415:03
39.47:415:03
49.47:415:04
59.47:415:05
69.47:415:06
79.47:415:07
89.47:415:07
99.57:415:08
109.57:415:09
119.57:415:10
129.57:415:11
139.57:415:12
149.57:405:13
159.67:405:14
169.67:405:15
179.67:405:16
189.67:395:17
199.77:395:18
209.77:395:19
219.77:385:20
229.77:385:21
239.87:375:22
249.87:375:23
259.87:365:24
269.87:355:26
279.97:355:27
289.97:345:28
299.97:335:29
3010.07:335:30
3110.07:325:31

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.64 kWh/m² to a high of 8.42 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.93 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.7Moderate
22.7Moderate
32.7Moderate
42.7Moderate
52.8Moderate
62.8Moderate
72.8Moderate
82.8Moderate
92.8Moderate
102.8Moderate
112.8Moderate
122.9Moderate
132.9Moderate
142.9Moderate
152.9Moderate
162.9Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.2Moderate
273.2Moderate
283.3Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.4Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Moab?

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 Moab.

What to pack for Moab in January

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

In January, Moab sees daytime highs around 39°F and nights near 20°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Moab 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 Moab peaks around July 18 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 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 18UV 11Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Moab?

Moab sits at 38.6°N, 109.5°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Grand Junction, 63 mi away.

Topography around Moab

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Moab has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,470 ft around an average of 4,390 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,406 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 8,940 ft.

The land around Moab is covered by bare terrain (45%) and shrubs (24%) within 2 miles, bare terrain (48%) and shrubs (39%) within 10 miles, and bare terrain (38%) and shrubs (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,470 ft
10 miles
3,406 ft
50 miles
8,940 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Grand Junction 63 mi · Clifton 69 mi · Montrose 91 mi · Telluride 104 mi · Durango 128 mi · Farmington 147 mi · Aspen 153 mi · Payson 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 Moab (38.5733°, -109.5498°, elevation 0 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).