Sanford weather in January

In January, Sanford sees average daytime highs of 31°F and overnight lows near 16°F, with 3.3 in of precipitation across 9.3 wet days and about 9.1 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-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 37% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 48 min at the start of January to 9 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Sanford's 2nd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sanford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
12th warmest
Overnight low
16°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.3 in
9.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 06 min
7:19 AM – 4:26 PM
Cloud cover
56%
2nd clearest
Wind
8 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Sanford is city in York County, Maine, United States.

Density
165/km²
people per km²
Founded
1739

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 Sanford reaches about 31°F in the afternoon and slips back to 16°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°F and 44°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 6°F cooler than December and about 2°F cooler than February.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13319
23219
33219
43218
53218
63118
73117
83117
93117
103117
113117
123116
133016
143016
153016
163015
173015
183015
193015
203015
213015
223015
233015
243015
253015
263015
273015
283015
293015
303015
313015

How January really feels in Sanford

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.

Sanford 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
Jan31° / 16°3.39.37.19.10.0
Feb33° / 17°3.28.76.710.20.0
Mar41° / 26°4.110.96.211.60.3
Apr53° / 37°4.110.52.313.23.1
May64° / 47°3.210.50.114.55.5
Jun74° / 56°4.011.7015.26.4
Jul79° / 63°3.711.4014.96.4
Aug78° / 61°3.59.5013.86.9
Sep70° / 54°3.58.7012.36.8
Oct58° / 43°4.39.50.310.84.6
Nov47° / 33°3.69.11.79.51.5
Dec36° / 24°4.310.46.18.80.0

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 15% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 48%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
25149
35149
45149
55149
65149
75149
85050
95050
105050
115050
125149
135149
145149
155149
165149
175149
185149
195347
205347
215347
225446
235446
245446
255446
265446
275446
285446
295446
305446
315446

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Sanford gets around 3.3 in of rain and snow over 9.3 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 30% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13222
23222
33222
43223
53223
63223
73223
83223
93223
103223
113224
123224
133224
143124
153124
163124
173124
183023
193023
203023
212923
222923
232923
242823
252823
262823
272823
282823
292823
302823
312823

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 8 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 8 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
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 8 h 48 min at the start of January to 9 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:22 AM to 7:09 AM, and sunset from 4:11 PM to 4:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.87:224:11
28.87:224:12
38.87:224:13
48.97:224:13
58.97:224:14
68.97:224:15
78.97:224:16
88.97:214:17
98.97:214:18
109.07:214:19
119.07:214:20
129.07:214:21
139.07:204:22
149.17:204:23
159.17:194:25
169.17:194:26
179.17:194:27
189.27:184:28
199.27:184:29
209.27:174:30
219.37:164:32
229.37:164:33
239.37:154:34
249.37:144:35
259.47:144:37
269.47:134:38
279.57:124:39
289.57:114:40
299.57:104:42
309.67:094:43
319.67:094:44

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 1.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.52 kWh/m² to a high of 6.05 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 1.93 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.6Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.7Dim
71.7Dim
81.7Dim
91.7Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.8Dim
151.9Dim
161.9Dim
171.9Dim
182.0Dim
192.0Dim
202.0Moderate
212.1Moderate
222.1Moderate
232.1Moderate
242.2Moderate
252.2Moderate
262.2Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Sanford

In seasonPeak

None of Sanford's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Sanford sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Sanford?

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
8th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sanford.

What to pack for Sanford in January

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

In January, Sanford sees daytime highs around 31°F and nights near 16°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Sanford in January

The nearest coast averages about 42°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 21 mi away) is warmest in August at about 64°F and coldest in March near 38°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan42Bracing
Feb39Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May48Bracing
Jun56Bracing
Jul62Cool
Aug64Cool
Sep61Cool
Oct55Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec45Bracing

UV index in Sanford in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sanford peaks around July 12 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. 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 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateModerateLowJul 12UV 7Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sanford?

Sanford sits at 43.4°N, 70.8°W, 302 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Rochester, 14 mi away.

Topography around Sanford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sanford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 492 ft around an average of 374 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,066 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,101 ft.

The land around Sanford is covered by trees (77%) within 2 miles, trees (87%) within 10 miles, and trees (68%) and water (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
492 ft
10 miles
1,066 ft
50 miles
4,101 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Rochester 14 mi · Biddeford 17 mi · Saco 17 mi · Dover 17 mi · West Scarborough 21 mi · Portsmouth 25 mi · Westbrook 26 mi · South Portland Gardens 27 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 Sanford (43.4393°, -70.7742°, elevation 302 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).