Rolla weather in January

In January, Rolla sees average daytime highs of 42°F and overnight lows near 25°F, with 2.7 in of precipitation across 7.6 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 42°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Rolla's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rolla's year-round climate.

Daytime high
42°
12th warmest
Overnight low
25°
1st coldest
Precipitation
2.7 in
7.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:27 AM – 5:06 PM
Cloud cover
60%
7th clearest
Wind
8 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.33 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Rolla is city in and county seat of Phelps County, Missouri, United States.

Density
641/km²
people per km²
Founded
1844

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 42°F through the month.

A typical January day in Rolla reaches about 42°F in the afternoon and slips back to 25°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°F and 58°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°F cooler than December and about 5°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14226
24226
34226
44126
54126
64126
74125
84125
94125
104125
114125
124125
134125
144125
154124
164124
174124
184124
194124
204125
214125
224225
234225
244225
254225
264225
274225
284225
294326
304326
314326

How January really feels in Rolla

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.

Rolla weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan42° / 25°2.77.63.19.70.1
Feb46° / 28°2.57.62.610.51.4
Mar56° / 37°3.610.81.611.73.8
Apr67° / 47°4.811.80.2135.8
May74° / 56°5.013.30146.3
Jun83° / 65°3.811.3014.65.5
Jul88° / 69°3.510.7014.44.5
Aug86° / 67°2.99.5013.55.0
Sep79° / 59°3.37.9012.37.0
Oct68° / 47°3.38.70.1116.6
Nov55° / 37°3.48.20.99.93.7
Dec45° / 29°2.67.72.19.40.9

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24456
34456
44357
54456
64456
74456
84456
94555
104555
114555
124555
134555
144555
154555
164555
174555
184654
194654
204654
214654
224555
234555
244555
254555
264555
274555
284456
294456
304357
314258

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Rolla gets around 2.7 in of rain and snow over 7.6 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 24% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1239
2249
3249
4249
5249
6259
7259
8259
9259
10259
11259
12259
13259
14259
15259
16249
17249
18249
19249
20249
21249
222310
232310
242310
252310
262310
272310
282310
292310
302410
312410

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4982
5982
6982
7982
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in January

Winds average 8 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
217light breeze
227light breeze
237light breeze
247light breeze
257light breeze
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 24 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 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:28 AM to 7:19 AM, and sunset from 4:53 PM to 5:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.47:284:53
29.47:284:53
39.47:284:54
49.47:284:55
59.57:284:56
69.57:284:56
79.57:284:57
89.57:284:58
99.57:284:59
109.57:285:00
119.57:285:01
129.67:285:02
139.67:285:03
149.67:285:04
159.67:275:05
169.67:275:06
179.77:275:07
189.77:275:08
199.77:265:09
209.77:265:10
219.87:255:11
229.87:255:12
239.87:245:13
249.87:245:14
259.97:235:15
269.97:235:16
279.97:225:17
289.97:225:18
2910.07:215:19
3010.07:205:20
3110.07:195:21

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.33 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.01 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.33 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.1Moderate
22.1Moderate
32.1Moderate
42.1Moderate
52.1Moderate
62.1Moderate
72.1Moderate
82.1Moderate
92.2Moderate
102.2Moderate
112.2Moderate
122.2Moderate
132.2Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.5Moderate
222.5Moderate
232.5Moderate
242.5Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.7Moderate
312.7Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Rolla?

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

0.1
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 Rolla.

What to pack for Rolla in January

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

In January, Rolla sees daytime highs around 42°F and nights near 25°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Rolla 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 Rolla peaks around June 22 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 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 highHighModerateJun 22UV 10Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Rolla 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 Rolla is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Nov 146 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr9Good
May12Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct6Good
Nov6Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Rolla?

Rolla sits at 38.0°N, 91.8°W, 1,122 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Fort Leonard Wood, 27 mi away.

Topography around Rolla

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rolla has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 308 ft around an average of 1,073 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 633 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,060 ft.

The land around Rolla is covered by trees (55%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, trees (66%) and grassland (30%) within 10 miles, and trees (73%) and grassland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
308 ft
10 miles
633 ft
50 miles
1,060 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
January weather nearby: Fort Leonard Wood 27 mi · Jefferson City 48 mi · Wildwood 75 mi · Farmington 75 mi · Columbia 76 mi · Wentzville 78 mi · Ballwin 80 mi · Chesterfield 81 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 Rolla (37.9514°, -91.7713°, elevation 1,122 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).