January sees cold, dry spell
AUSTIN (KXAN) — January in Austin is typically the coldest month of the year with an average temperature of 52.2°. It is also the 4th driest month (or, if you prefer) the 9th wettest month), with an average rainfall of 2.64.
Based on the final numbers for January, the month was colder and drier. Let’s get into the numbers.
There were 21 days when the day’s high temperature was below normal. The coldest day was Monday, Jan. 20 with a high of 33° at Camp Mabry.
That day featured the most highs in the lower half of the 30s, including a few stations that never got above freezing. Stations reporting daily data show a high of 31° at Burnet (Craddock Field), Lago Vista (Rusty Allen Airport), and Fredericksburg (Gillespie County Airport).
Temperatures “warmed” back to the mid to upper 30s on the 21st before peaking in mostly the 50s from the 22nd to the 29th.
South winds returned to end the month helping highs reach the upper half of the 60s Wednesday and Thursday before ending January with a high in the low 70s.
There were several mornings where Austin reported lows in the 20s. The coldest was 20° on the 22nd, a morning when many area lows were in the teens:
- 12° Llano
- 16° Austin-Bergstrom, Taylor
- 17° San Marcos
- 18° Fredericksburg, La Grange
- 19° Burnet, Georgetown, Pflugerville
The area stayed below freezing for seven days between the 19th and the 25th.
In summary, most average temperatures from stations reporting data averaged between 43° and 47°. Camp Mabry landed at 46.9°, 5.3° below normal.
Our weather team was hoping that precipitation for January 2025 would mirror that of January 2024. The first month of 2024 had more than six inches of rain, leading us to be hopeful that the ensuing months might yield higher-than-average rain totals. Of course, that didn’t happen.
The area went eight days to start January with not a drop of rain. The 9th was the first day it rained with a generous 0.84″. But it would be another 11 days before the rain gauge picked up anything. A measly .01″ was measured on the night of the 20th, setting up an interesting day on the 21st.
That was the day a combination of graupel, sleet, and, to the delight of many, snow was reported. Snow totals for much of the area held under an inch. It was the snowiest day in Austin since February 15th, 2021. Snow measured out to four-tenths of an inch at Camp Mabry and three-tenths at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Stations that did report an inch to slightly more included La Grange, Lockhart, Taylor and Wimberley.
The month’s highest rain totals came on the 30th with .92″ helping to make up some of the month’s (and 2025’s) deficit. On that day most of the one- and two-inch rain totals were reported from I-35 westward.
The 2.01″ was .63″ short of what is normal.
For the first two months of meteorological winter (December and January), only 3.21″ of rain has been measured, a deficit of 2.15″.
The final January numbers shows January 2025 to be tied for the 23rd coldest month and the 49th wettest month.
