Selma weather in January

In January, Selma sees average daytime highs of 57°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 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 57°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 Selma's 6th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Selma's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
12th warmest
Overnight low
38°
1st coldest
Precipitation
4.5 in
10 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
6:55 AM – 5:00 PM
Cloud cover
56%
6th clearest
Wind
7 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
2.74 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Selma is city in and county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States.

Density
523/km²
people per km²
Founded
1815

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 57°F through the month.

A typical January day in Selma reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 43°F and 69°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°F cooler than December and about 5°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15739
25739
35739
45738
55738
65638
75638
85638
95638
105638
115638
125638
135638
145638
155637
165637
175637
185737
195737
205737
215737
225737
235737
245737
255737
265837
275838
285838
295838
305838
315838

How January really feels in Selma

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

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Selma 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 38°4.51010.14.1
Feb61° / 41°4.59.810.85.1
Mar69° / 47°4.910.111.86.4
Apr76° / 54°4.28.612.87.1
May83° / 63°3.59.113.66.0
Jun89° / 70°3.912.314.14.0
Jul91° / 73°4.214.813.93.2
Aug91° / 72°3.612.313.23.5
Sep87° / 67°2.87.812.25.1
Oct77° / 56°3.06.411.27.5
Nov67° / 45°3.97.610.36.7
Dec59° / 40°4.810.29.94.6

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 (%)
14456
24456
34456
44555
54555
64456
74357
84456
94456
104456
114456
124456
134555
144555
154654
164654
174753
184753
194852
204852
214951
224951
235050
245050
255050
265050
274951
284951
294852
304753
314753

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Selma 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 33% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
333
433
532
632
732
832
932
1032
1132
1232
1333
1433
1533
1633
1733
1833
1933
2033
2133
2233
2333
2433
2533
2633
2733
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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
186761
286761
385861
485861
586860
686860
786860
886860
986860
1087850
1187850
1288750
1388750
1488750
1588750
1688750
1788750
1890640
1990640
2090640
2190640
2290640
2390640
2490640
2590640
2690640
2791630
2891630
2991630
3091630
3191630

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 6:54 AM to 6:49 AM, and sunset from 4:48 PM to 5:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.96:544:48
29.96:544:49
39.96:544:50
49.96:554:51
59.96:554:51
610.06:554:52
710.06:554:53
810.06:554:53
910.06:554:54
1010.06:554:55
1110.06:554:56
1210.06:554:57
1310.06:554:58
1410.16:554:58
1510.16:554:59
1610.16:555:00
1710.16:555:01
1810.16:545:02
1910.16:545:03
2010.26:545:04
2110.26:545:04
2210.26:535:05
2310.26:535:06
2410.26:535:07
2510.36:525:08
2610.36:525:09
2710.36:515:10
2810.36:515:11
2910.46:505:12
3010.46:505:13
3110.46:495:14

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.74 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.45 kWh/m² to a high of 6.25 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.74 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.4Moderate
22.5Moderate
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
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Selma?

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

4.1
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Selma for sightseeing.

What to pack for Selma in January

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

In January, Selma sees daytime highs around 57°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 Selma 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 Selma peaks around July 15 at about 10 (extreme) — 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 highVery highHighModerateJul 15UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar7High
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Selma 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 Selma is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1820 µg/m³Jan 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Selma?

Selma sits at 32.4°N, 87.0°W, 125 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Prattville, 33 mi away.

Topography around Selma

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Selma has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 108 ft around an average of 135 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 390 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 817 ft.

The land around Selma is covered by trees (63%) within 2 miles, trees (74%) within 10 miles, and trees (82%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
108 ft
10 miles
390 ft
50 miles
817 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Prattville 33 mi · Millbrook 39 mi · Montgomery 42 mi · Alabaster 59 mi · Pelham 62 mi · Helena 62 mi · Tuscaloosa 64 mi · Northport 65 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 Selma (32.4074°, -87.0211°, elevation 125 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).