Oxford weather in January

In January, Oxford sees average daytime highs of 53°F and overnight lows near 35°F, with 4.6 in of precipitation across 10.5 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 53°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 48 min at the start of January to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Oxford's 7th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Oxford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
53°
12th warmest
Overnight low
35°
1st coldest
Precipitation
4.6 in
10.5 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
6:53 AM – 4:53 PM
Cloud cover
58%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.63 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.0
out of 10

Oxford is city in Calhoun and Talladega counties, Alabama, USA.

Density
263/km²
people per km²
Founded
1850

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 53°F through the month.

A typical January day in Oxford reaches about 53°F in the afternoon and slips back to 35°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 39°F and 66°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°F cooler than December and about 4°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15337
25336
35336
45336
55336
65336
75336
85336
95336
105336
115335
125335
135335
145335
155335
165335
175335
185335
195335
205335
215335
225335
235335
245335
255335
265335
275435
285435
295435
305435
315435

How January really feels in Oxford

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.

Oxford weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan53° / 35°4.610.50.7103.0
Feb57° / 38°4.710.60.510.84.0
Mar65° / 44°5.0110.211.75.8
Apr72° / 52°4.19.8012.86.8
May80° / 60°3.410.2013.76.6
Jun85° / 68°4.013.1014.24.7
Jul88° / 71°4.414.70144.0
Aug87° / 70°3.713.2013.24.3
Sep83° / 64°3.19012.26.1
Oct74° / 53°3.07011.27.4
Nov63° / 43°4.08.2010.35.9
Dec55° / 38°4.610.30.39.83.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24258
34258
44159
54159
64258
74258
84159
94159
104258
114258
124258
134357
144357
154456
164555
174555
184753
194753
204852
214951
225050
234951
245050
254951
264951
274951
284951
294951
304951
314852

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Oxford gets around 4.6 in of rain and snow over 10.5 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 34% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1332
2332
3332
4332
5332
6332
7342
8342
9342
10342
11352
12352
13352
14352
15352
16352
17352
18352
19352
20352
21352
22352
23342
24342
25342
26342
27342
28342
29342
30342
31342

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 93% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
190721
291720
391720
491720
591720
691720
792620
892620
992620
1092620
1192620
1293520
1394510
1494510
1594510
1694510
1794510
1894510
1994510
2095500
2195500
2295500
2395500
2495500
2595500
2695500
2795500
2895500
2995500
3095500
3194510

Wind in January

Winds average 7 mph in January, the windiest month of the year.

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 48 min at the start of January to 10 h 18 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 6:52 AM to 6:47 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)
19.86:524:41
29.86:534:41
39.86:534:42
49.86:534:43
59.86:534:43
69.96:534:44
79.96:534:45
89.96:534:46
99.96:534:47
109.96:534:47
119.96:534:48
129.96:534:49
139.96:534:50
1410.06:534:51
1510.06:534:52
1610.06:534:53
1710.06:534:53
1810.06:524:54
1910.16:524:55
2010.16:524:56
2110.16:514:57
2210.16:514:58
2310.16:514:59
2410.26:505:00
2510.26:505:01
2610.26:495:02
2710.26:495:03
2810.36:495:04
2910.36:485:05
3010.36:475:06
3110.36:475:06

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.63 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.33 kWh/m² to a high of 6.12 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.63 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.3Moderate
22.3Moderate
32.3Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.5Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.6Moderate
152.6Moderate
162.6Moderate
172.6Moderate
182.7Moderate
192.7Moderate
202.7Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.9Moderate
272.9Moderate
282.9Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.0Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Oxford?

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

3.0
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Oxford.

What to pack for Oxford in January

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

In January, Oxford sees daytime highs around 53°F and nights near 35°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Oxford in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Oxford peaks around July 12 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 12UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Oxford 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 Oxford 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 1820 µg/m³Jan 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb12Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Oxford?

Oxford sits at 33.6°N, 85.8°W, 656 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Anniston, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Oxford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Oxford has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,024 ft around an average of 768 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,886 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,133 ft.

The land around Oxford is covered by trees (58%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, trees (79%) within 10 miles, and trees (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,024 ft
10 miles
1,886 ft
50 miles
2,133 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Anniston 3.1 mi · Talladega 20 mi · Gadsden 29 mi · Carrollton 43 mi · Trussville 45 mi · Dixiana 48 mi · Center Point 49 mi · Albertville 50 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 Oxford (33.6143°, -85.835°, elevation 656 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).