Portage weather in January

In January, Portage sees average daytime highs of 31°F and overnight lows near 19°F, with 2.8 in of precipitation across 11.3 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 hours at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Portage's 12th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Portage's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
12th warmest
Overnight low
19°
1st coldest
Precipitation
2.8 in
11.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 12 min
8:14 AM – 5:29 PM
Cloud cover
82%
12th clearest
Wind
9 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Portage is city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States of America.

Density
529/km²
people per km²
Founded
1830

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 31°F through the month.

A typical January day in Portage reaches about 31°F in the afternoon and slips back to 19°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°F and 44°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 5°F cooler than December and about 3°F cooler than February.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13322
23322
33221
43221
53221
63221
73220
83120
93120
103120
113120
123119
133119
143019
153019
163018
173018
183018
193018
203018
213018
223017
233017
243017
253017
263017
273017
283017
293017
303117
313117

How January really feels in Portage

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
31 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Portage weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 19°2.811.310.49.30.0
Feb34° / 20°2.28.36.610.30.0
Mar45° / 28°2.710.24.411.61.0
Apr57° / 39°3.912.71.413.13.8
May68° / 49°4.413.1014.45.8
Jun78° / 59°4.311.70156.4
Jul81° / 63°4.011.4014.86.3
Aug79° / 61°3.811.1013.76.6
Sep73° / 54°3.19.7012.36.8
Oct60° / 43°3.4110.210.84.6
Nov46° / 33°2.810.139.61.3
Dec36° / 25°2.5117.990.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 84%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11684
21684
31684
41684
51684
61585
71585
81585
91585
101585
111585
121684
131684
141684
151684
161684
171585
181585
191585
201684
211684
221684
231783
241783
251882
261882
271882
281882
291882
301981
311981

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Portage gets around 2.8 in of rain and snow over 11.3 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 36% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13630
23730
33731
43831
53932
64032
74033
84033
94034
104034
114035
124035
133935
143935
153835
163835
173735
183635
193635
203534
213434
223434
233334
243333
253233
263232
273232
283131
293131
303130
313029

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 9 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 hours at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 8:16 AM to 8:05 AM, and sunset from 5:14 PM to 5:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.08:165:14
29.08:175:15
39.08:175:16
49.08:175:17
59.08:175:18
69.08:175:19
79.08:175:20
89.18:175:21
99.18:165:22
109.18:165:22
119.18:165:23
129.18:165:25
139.28:155:26
149.28:155:27
159.28:155:28
169.28:145:29
179.38:145:30
189.38:145:31
199.38:135:32
209.38:135:33
219.48:125:34
229.48:115:36
239.48:115:37
249.58:105:38
259.58:095:39
269.58:095:40
279.68:085:42
289.68:075:43
299.68:065:44
309.78:055:45
319.78:055:47

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 1.72 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.4 kWh/m² to a high of 6.36 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 1.72 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.4Dim
41.5Dim
51.5Dim
61.5Dim
71.5Dim
81.5Dim
91.5Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.7Dim
161.7Dim
171.7Dim
181.8Dim
191.8Dim
201.8Dim
211.9Dim
221.9Dim
231.9Dim
241.9Dim
252.0Dim
262.0Moderate
272.0Moderate
282.1Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.2Moderate
312.2Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Portage?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Portage.

What to pack for Portage in January

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

In January, Portage sees daytime highs around 31°F and nights near 19°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Portage in January

The nearest coast averages about 39°F in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 42 mi away) is warmest in August at about 72°F and coldest in March near 36°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 14 to Sep 13 — about 2 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan39Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar36Bracing
Apr39Bracing
May45Bracing
Jun58Bracing
Jul69Refreshing
Aug72Refreshing
Sep68Cool
Oct59Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec43Bracing

UV index in Portage 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 Portage peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 9Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Portage 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 Portage is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1515 µg/m³Oct 228 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr12Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Portage?

Portage sits at 42.2°N, 85.6°W, 879 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Kalamazoo, 6.2 mi away.

Topography around Portage

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Portage has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 141 ft around an average of 876 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 358 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 679 ft.

The land around Portage is covered by trees (50%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 2 miles, trees (48%) and cropland (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (42%) and cropland (37%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
141 ft
10 miles
358 ft
50 miles
679 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: Kalamazoo 6.2 mi · Battle Creek 22 mi · Granger 41 mi · Elkhart 41 mi · Goshen 45 mi · Kentwood 47 mi · Mishawaka 48 mi · Holland 48 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 Portage (42.2011°, -85.58°, elevation 879 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).