Beijing in January:
bitterly cold, almost no snow
Beijing, China · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.
Beijing in January
The coldest and driest month. Many days are windy and bitter, so you need gloves, a scarf and a heavy down coat. Rain is almost absent, and lips and skin dry out fast. Indoors the heating runs warm, so you will keep taking layers off.
Even the daytime highs averaged just 3°C, with nights at −7°C. The month stayed near or below freezing all day. Precipitation days were almost unheard of. January could skip precipitation entirely: 17 of 20 years had none, while 2010 had 1 precipitation day.
With as little as 9.4 hours of daylight, the sightseeing day was short and dinner came after dark. Nights dropped below 0°C on 31 days of the month on average, so early-morning paths could be icy. The warmest year was 2014, with highs averaging 5.1°C, 2.6°C above normal. Cold snaps happened: the record low for January was −17.6°C, set in 2021.
Date by date i
0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20
| 1-2 | rain on 0% of days | 3° −7° |
|---|---|---|
| 3-9 | rain on 1% of days | 2° −7° |
| 10-16 | rain on 1% of days | 2° −7° |
| 17-23 | rain on 1% of days | 2° −7° |
| 24-30 | rain on 0% of days | 3° −7° |
| January 31 | rain on 0% of days | 4° −6° |
0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20
| January 1 | rain on 0% of days | 3° −7° |
|---|---|---|
| 2-8 | rain on 1% of days | 2° −7° |
| 9-15 | rain on 1% of days | 2° −7° |
| 16-22 | rain on 1% of days | 2° −7° |
| 23-29 | rain on 0% of days | 3° −7° |
| 30-31 | rain on 0% of days | 3° −6° |
- January 1 New Year's Day *
- January 18 Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
* Provisional: not yet officially announced.
1 Local public holiday or break (busier, pricier)1 US holidays (flights fill up)
Day by day temperature i
Mean high Mean low Coldest to warmest high in 20 years
Your trip dates, the past 20 years
No rain1-9 mm10 mm or more Dates outside your trip are dimmed.
One row per year, one cell per day. 2006 had 0 rain days, 2010 had 1.
Beijing through the year
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3° | −7° | 0 days | 1mm |
| February | 6° | −4° | 2 days | 7mm |
| March | 14° | 2° | 2 days | 10mm |
| AprilGood | 21° | 9° | 3 days | 22mm |
| MayGood | 27° | 15° | 3 days | 30mm |
| June | 31° | 20° | 6 days | 59mm |
| July | 32° | 23° | 9 days | 191mm |
| August | 31° | 22° | 7 days | 115mm |
| SeptemberGood | 27° | 17° | 4 days | 54mm |
| October | 19° | 9° | 3 days | 26mm |
| November | 11° | 1° | 2 days | 15mm |
| December | 4° | −5° | 1 day | 1mm |
Common questions
Does it rain a lot in Beijing in January?
Over the past 20 years January averaged 0 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 0 in the driest to 1 in the wettest.
What should I wear in Beijing in January?
Days averaged 3°C and nights −7°C. Pack a heavy down coat and gloves plus a scarf.
Is January a good time to visit Beijing?
On warmth and rain days alone, Beijing's easiest months were April, May and September. January ranked 8 of 12.
How many clear days does Beijing get in January?
About 20 clear days (under 30% cloud on average) and 3 overcast days (80% or more).