Yellowstone National Park in January
Yellowstone National Park · crowd + weather almanac
January crowd level
quietest stretch
about 35,000 visits in a
typical January
The 9th-busiest month of the year ·
median of 2016–2025 official NPS counts
January is the 9th-busiest month of the year at Yellowstone National Park: about 35,000 recreation visits in a typical January (1% of the year's traffic, and 4% of what the peak month, July, sees). This is the off-season — the park is at or near its quietest. Weather-wise, January days at the Yellowstone Park Mammoth, WY station typically top out around 31°F with nights near 12°F, and about 0.9 inches of precipitation falls over the month. The station's long-term normal includes about 12 inches of January snowfall.
- Typical January: 34,617 recreation visits (median 2016–2025); the range across those years ran 25,234 (2020) to 46,615 (2022).
- Busier than 3 of the other 11 months.
- 1991–2020 January normals at Yellowstone Park Mammoth, WY: high 31°F, low 12°F, 0.91 in precipitation, 11.5 in snow.
- Similar daytime temperatures, thinner crowds: November typically runs 39°F days with about 40% fewer visits (21,000 vs 35,000).
January weather (1991–2020 normals)
| Typical daytime high | 31°F |
|---|---|
| Typical overnight low | 12°F |
| Precipitation (monthly normal) | 0.91 in |
| Snowfall (monthly normal) | 11.5 in |
| Measured at | Yellowstone Park Mammoth, WY (USC00489905), 0.2 mi from the park reference point, elev. 6,195 ft |
Every month at Yellowstone
| Month | Typical visits | Crowds | High / Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34,617 | quietest stretch | 31°F / 12°F | 0.9 in |
| February | 39,388 | quietest stretch | 34°F / 12°F | 0.8 in |
| March | 31,280 | quietest stretch | 42°F / 19°F | 1.1 in |
| April | 63,380 | quietest stretch | 50°F / 26°F | 1.4 in |
| May | 450,568 | moderate | 60°F / 35°F | 1.8 in |
| June | 824,600 | busiest stretch | 70°F / 42°F | 1.9 in |
| July | 966,048 | busiest stretch | 81°F / 48°F | 1.3 in |
| August | 857,324 | busiest stretch | 80°F / 46°F | 1.1 in |
| September | 780,784 | busy | 69°F / 39°F | 1.2 in |
| October | 270,565 | quiet | 54°F / 29°F | 1.3 in |
| November | 20,621 | quietest stretch | 39°F / 19°F | 1.1 in |
| December | 29,526 | quietest stretch | 30°F / 12°F | 0.9 in |