Changsha Weather in January

Season: Winter
In short:
1. Changsha in January is in its lowest temperature all year round.
2. The city gets low precipitation this month, but may encounter snow and freezing rain.
3. High humidity makes people feel damp and colder, so January isn’t seen as a good visit time.
 (1) The temperature of Changsha is the lowest on average in a year, but the weather is basically not quite frigid. On most days, the highest temperature ranges from about 5 to 15 degrees Celsius (41 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit), and the weather is cold but not freezing. On sunny days, the highest temperature can even reach 20°C (68°F), but the temperature variation between day and night is large. In the evening, the lowest temperature is from 0 to 10°C (32 to 50°F), and people generally don’t feel extremely cold. Sometimes cold air hits the city, and the lowest temperature is thus only -1°C (30°F).

(2) Precipitation of Changsha is low, which is only about 34 mm, and days with rainfall amount to only 8. Even so, the duration of precipitation can be very long. On some days, it can rain in the entire daytime, leading to bad visibility and also inconvenience in people’s sightseeing. Moreover, occasional snow and even freezing rain, especially at night, make roads a little slippery at dawn.

(3) The humidity is quite high at 84% on average, and may make people feel a little colder. In such a damp environment, people are likely to feel lower apparent temperature than the forecast temperature, and thus feel uncomfortable outdoors.

(4) Occasionally, the air is slightly polluted, making travel experience bad. The factor affecting your sightseeing the most is smog, which causes bad visibility and makes it unsuitable to enjoy open-air activities such as climbing mountain.
 The sunrise occurs between about 07:16 and 07:20, and the sunset is at from 17:48 to 18:11. In view of the low temperature at dawn and dusk, it’s not suggested to spend time on waiting for the sunrise or sunset view. Throughout the month, Changsha’s daytime sees a gradual increase, but is still less than 11 hours. During relative short daytime, it’s not suggested to arrange too many attractions into your itinerary.
 The damp and cold, and sometimes slightly polluted weather makes January not a good month to visit Changsha. Whether strolling around the city or enjoying the natural scenery on the mountain, you may feel uncomfortable chilliness in the process, let along having a quite pleasant and relaxing tour.

But if you don’t think the weather conditions are too unbearable and prefer a Changsha tour in low season, visit the city in January, 2026. Almost all the attractions are not crowded and hotel rooms are not in great demand and thus low in price. Moreover, covered by a small amount of snow, scenic spots are in serene beauty.
 Clothes: Warm and windproof clothes are more suitable. For example, thermal underwear, a woolen sweater, and a down coat can be selected as tops. On sunny days, the outermost layer can be changed into an overcoat. For bottoms, to be both warm and comfortable, thermal pants and sweatpants are good choices.

Shoes: Thick sneakers keep your feet warm, and leather boots prevent your socks getting wet by rain water.

Requisites:
(1) An umbrella is a must on slightly or moderately rainy days.
(2) To block light smog, pack masks into your luggage.
(3) You can also bring warm accessories like a woolen hat, a scarf, and gloves.
 1. Try to schedule your Changsha tour on sunny days in January, when the weather is in relatively high temperature and visibility is better. On these days, climbing the Yuelu Mountain, and admiring Mao Zedong’s statue on the Orange Isle are both good things to do.

2. When it rains or snows slightly, it’s more suggested to visit indoor attractions with heating equipment, for example, the Hunan Provincial Museum, the Changsha Museum, and the relics of Mawangdui Han Tombs. 

3. For snow scenery lovers, pick the day just after snow, when both the Orange Isle and the Yuelu Mountain are covered by a thin layer of snow and possess special charm. In view that the temperature is mostly over 0°C (32°F), the snow may not settle for too long, so 07:00-09:00 is a better viewing period.