China

Shanghai in January

In January, Shanghai averages a daytime high of 8 °C and a night-time low of 1 °C, with about 63 mm of rain over the month. It falls outside Shanghai's most comfortable months, October.

Average high
8 °C
Average low
1 °C
Rain in the month
63 mm
Daylight on 15 Jan
10 h 20 min
Comfortable month
No
Places to stay
79

When to go

How January compares with the rest of the year in Shanghai

January is the coolest month in Shanghai by average daytime high; across the year the highs run from 8 °C to 32 °C and the lows from 1 °C to 25 °C. By day, January is 3 °C cooler than December, and February is 2 °C warmer than January.

January brings 63 mm of rain, less than the monthly average of 100 mm (1194 mm a year); it is tied for the 8th wettest month.

On 15 January the sun is up for about 10 h 20 min, against 10 h 10 min at the shortest and 14 h 10 min at the longest point of the year (calculated from the latitude, sunrise to sunset).

0°16°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec185 mm
Average highAverage lowRain per monthComfortable months
MonthHighLowRainDaylightComfortable
January8 °C1 °C63 mm10 h 20 min
February10 °C3 °C63 mm11 h
March14 °C6 °C97 mm12 h
April20 °C11 °C86 mm13 h
May24 °C16 °C97 mm13 h 50 min
June27 °C21 °C185 mm14 h 10 min
July32 °C25 °C152 mm14 h
August31 °C25 °C174 mm13 h 10 min
September28 °C21 °C118 mm12 h 20 min
October23 °C15 °C54 mm11 h 20 minYes
November17 °C10 °C58 mm10 h 30 min
December10 °C3 °C48 mm10 h 10 min

Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).

When to go

Is January a good time to visit Shanghai?

Not by the measure used here: the average high of 8 °C is below 18 °C. The comfortable months in Shanghai are October; the nearest is October.

The measure is about weather for a city stay only; it says nothing about events, school holidays or prices.

Public holidays in China in January

Nationwide public holidays; shops and offices may close on these dates.

1 Jan 2026 · New Year's Day2 Jan 2026 · Day off (substituted from 01/04/2026)1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day

Where to stay

Where to stay in Shanghai

This guide lists 79 places to stay in Shanghai, hotels recorded in Wikidata. By straight-line distance from the centre: under 1 km, 7; 1–3 km, 22; 3–10 km, 23; 10 km or more, 27.

← Shanghai in DecemberShanghai in February →

Sources: climate from CRU TS v4.10 (Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia; Open Database License), 1991–2020 averages; day length calculated from the latitude; public holidays from python-holidays (MIT); places to stay from each operator's own public pages and Wikidata. How this guide is made.