Opelika weather in January

In January, Opelika sees average daytime highs of 56°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 4.5 in of precipitation across 10 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 56°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 Opelika's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Opelika's year-round climate.

Daytime high
56°
12th warmest
Overnight low
38°
1st coldest
Precipitation
4.5 in
10 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
6:49 AM – 4:53 PM
Cloud cover
57%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.73 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Opelika is city in Alabama, United States.

Density
188/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 56°F through the month.

A typical January day in Opelika reaches about 56°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 43°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°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15639
25639
35639
45638
55638
65538
75538
85538
95538
105538
115538
125538
135538
145537
155537
165537
175537
185537
195537
205637
215637
225637
235637
245637
255637
265637
275637
285637
295638
305738
315738

How January really feels in Opelika

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 13 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
13
wind chill below the day's low

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

Opelika 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
Jan56° / 38°4.51010.13.8
Feb60° / 41°4.79.810.84.7
Mar67° / 47°4.61011.86.3
Apr74° / 54°3.88.712.87.1
May82° / 62°3.18.913.76.4
Jun87° / 70°4.01314.14.3
Jul89° / 72°5.11613.93.6
Aug88° / 72°3.913.613.23.9
Sep84° / 66°3.38.812.25.7
Oct75° / 55°2.9711.27.5
Nov65° / 45°4.28.110.36.4
Dec58° / 40°4.7109.94.3

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
24456
34555
44555
54555
64456
74456
84555
94555
104654
114555
124555
134753
144753
154753
164852
174852
184852
195050
205050
215050
225050
235149
245149
255149
265050
275050
285050
294951
304852
314951

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Opelika gets around 4.5 in of rain and snow over 10 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 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
234
334
434
534
633
733
833
933
1033
1133
1233
1333
1432
1532
1632
1732
1832
1932
2032
2132
2232
2332
2432
2532
2632
2732
2832
2932
3032
3132

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 90% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
186941
286941
386941
486941
587940
687940
788840
888840
988840
1089740
1189740
1289740
1390730
1491630
1591630
1691630
1791630
1891630
1992620
2092620
2192620
2292620
2393610
2493610
2593610
2693610
2793610
2893610
2993610
3093610
3193610

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 6:48 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 4:41 PM to 5:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.96:484:41
29.96:484:42
39.96:494:43
49.96:494:43
59.96:494:44
69.96:494:45
79.96:494:46
810.06:494:46
910.06:494:47
1010.06:494:48
1110.06:494:49
1210.06:494:50
1310.06:494:50
1410.06:494:51
1510.16:494:52
1610.16:494:53
1710.16:484:54
1810.16:484:55
1910.16:484:56
2010.16:484:56
2110.26:484:57
2210.26:474:58
2310.26:474:59
2410.26:465:00
2510.26:465:01
2610.36:465:02
2710.36:455:03
2810.36:455:04
2910.36:445:05
3010.46:445:06
3110.46:435:06

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 2.42 kWh/m² to a high of 6.24 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.73 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.4Moderate
22.4Moderate
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
172.8Moderate
182.8Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.9Moderate
253.0Moderate
263.0Moderate
273.0Moderate
283.0Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Opelika?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Opelika.

What to pack for Opelika in January

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

In January, Opelika sees daytime highs around 56°F and nights near 38°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Opelika 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 Opelika peaks around July 13 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 13UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Opelika 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 Opelika is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1921 µg/m³Jan 127 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb10Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr12Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct15Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Opelika?

Opelika sits at 32.6°N, 85.4°W, 807 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Auburn, 6.2 mi away.

Topography around Opelika

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Opelika has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 203 ft around an average of 784 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 755 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,385 ft.

The land around Opelika is covered by trees (61%) within 2 miles, trees (76%) within 10 miles, and trees (86%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
203 ft
10 miles
755 ft
50 miles
1,385 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Auburn 6.2 mi · Phenix City 25 mi · Columbus 26 mi · LaGrange 34 mi · Montgomery 57 mi · Millbrook 58 mi · Newnan 61 mi · Prattville 64 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 Opelika (32.6454°, -85.3783°, elevation 807 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).