Wenatchee weather in January

In January, Wenatchee sees average daytime highs of 32°F and overnight lows near 23°F, with 3.0 in of precipitation across 12.8 wet days and about 8.7 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 30°F in the first days to 35°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 18 min at the start of January to 9 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Wenatchee's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wenatchee's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
11th warmest
Overnight low
23°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
3.0 in
12.8 wet days
Daylight
8 h 42 min
7:51 AM – 4:30 PM
Cloud cover
73%
12th clearest
Wind
3 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
1.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Wenatchee is city in Chelan County, Washington, United States.

Density
1,568/km²
people per km²
Founded
1892

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 30°F in the first days to 35°F by the end.

A typical January day in Wenatchee reaches about 32°F in the afternoon and slips back to 23°F overnight — a 10°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°F and 41°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 6°F cooler than February.

10°20°30°40°50°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13021
23021
33021
43121
53121
63121
73122
83122
93122
103122
113122
123122
133222
143222
153222
163222
173223
183323
193323
203323
213323
223323
233424
243424
253424
263424
273424
283524
293524
303524
313524

How January really feels in Wenatchee

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.

Wenatchee weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 23°3.012.8118.70.0
Feb38° / 26°2.19.98.29.90.0
Mar46° / 30°1.910.5611.61.2
Apr55° / 36°1.37.3113.33.7
May65° / 44°1.370.114.96.3
Jun72° / 49°0.84.9015.77.6
Jul81° / 55°0.32.3015.47.9
Aug81° / 54°0.32014.18.0
Sep71° / 48°0.73.50.112.48.0
Oct56° / 38°1.77.70.810.64.1
Nov41° / 29°2.811.56.39.10.3
Dec32° / 22°3.313.111.98.30.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12971
22872
32872
42872
52872
62872
72872
82773
92773
102872
112872
122872
132872
142773
152773
162872
172872
182872
192872
202872
212872
222872
232872
242872
252872
262971
273070
283070
293070
303070
313169

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Wenatchee gets around 3.0 in of rain and snow over 12.8 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 41% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days, and about 11 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14540
24540
34540
44540
54539
64439
74438
84438
94338
104338
114238
124238
134237
144137
154137
164137
174036
184036
194035
203935
213934
223934
233934
243933
253833
263832
273832
283831
293730
303730
313730

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 3 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 3 mph on the calmest days to 3 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 18 min at the start of January to 9 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:55 AM to 7:38 AM, and sunset from 4:14 PM to 4:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.37:554:14
28.37:554:15
38.37:554:16
48.47:554:17
58.47:554:17
68.47:554:18
78.47:554:20
88.47:544:21
98.57:544:22
108.57:544:23
118.57:534:24
128.57:534:25
138.67:534:26
148.67:524:28
158.67:524:29
168.77:514:30
178.77:504:31
188.77:504:33
198.77:494:34
208.87:484:35
218.87:484:37
228.97:474:38
238.97:464:40
248.97:454:41
259.07:444:42
269.07:434:44
279.17:424:45
289.17:414:47
299.17:404:48
309.27:394:50
319.27:384:51

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 1.46 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.21 kWh/m² to a high of 7.64 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 1.46 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.3Dim
21.3Dim
31.3Dim
41.3Dim
51.3Dim
61.3Dim
71.3Dim
81.3Dim
91.3Dim
101.4Dim
111.4Dim
121.4Dim
131.4Dim
141.4Dim
151.4Dim
161.4Dim
171.5Dim
181.5Dim
191.5Dim
201.5Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.7Dim
271.8Dim
281.8Dim
291.8Dim
301.9Dim
311.9Dim
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Wenatchee?

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 Wenatchee.

What to pack for Wenatchee in January

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

In January, Wenatchee sees daytime highs around 32°F and nights near 23°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Wenatchee 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 Wenatchee peaks around July 17 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 17UV 9Dec 13UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun6High
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Wenatchee 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 Wenatchee is worst in August — around 29 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 2028 µg/m³Dec 177 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr10Good
May9Good
Jun9Good
Jul12Good
Aug29Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Wenatchee?

Wenatchee sits at 47.4°N, 120.3°W, 666 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ellensburg, 32 mi away.

Topography around Wenatchee

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wenatchee has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,099 ft around an average of 810 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,236 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 8,609 ft.

The land around Wenatchee is covered by artificial surfaces (53%) within 2 miles, grassland (59%) and trees (26%) within 10 miles, and grassland (42%) and trees (37%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,099 ft
10 miles
5,236 ft
50 miles
8,609 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Ellensburg 32 mi · Moses Lake 52 mi · Yakima 58 mi · Sunnyside 77 mi · Issaquah 81 mi · Maple Valley 81 mi · City of Sammamish 81 mi · Union Hill-Novelty Hill 82 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 Wenatchee (47.4235°, -120.3103°, elevation 666 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).