January in Wichita, KS: cool / cold season for golf — expect distance loss and stiff muscles. Best tee times: midday when temperatures are warmest.
| Average January Weather | |
|---|---|
| Avg daily high | 44°F |
| Avg daily low | 26°F |
| Rainy days | 7 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 14.1 mph |
January sits at the coldest point of the year for golf in Wichita, Kansas — a 44°F average high that lands roughly 4 degrees below both December and February. That cold snap is real, but a few other numbers soften the picture. January is the second-driest month of the year with only 7 precipitation days, and peak wind averages 14.1 mph, making it the 5th-calmest month on the calendar. Rounds are playable for golfers who dress for it.
The daily temperature swing runs 18°F, from a 26°F morning low up to that 44°F afternoon peak. Early tee times in January mean genuinely frozen conditions — cart paths can be icy, greens slow, and fingers numb by the third hole. Midday windows, roughly 11 AM to 2 PM, are where the day's best golf lives. Pack accordingly and the round is manageable.
Book afternoon slots starting no earlier than 11 AM; with a 26°F average low, morning tee times in January often mean frost delays or partially unplayable greens that courses in the Wichita area handle on a day-by-day basis. Weekday midday tee times are typically easiest to secure in January given thin demand, so there's no need to book far in advance. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
January is the coldest month in this stretch, running 4°F below both December's 48°F high and February's 48°F high, so you're squarely at the bottom of the temperature curve. December actually sees one fewer precipitation day (6 vs. 7) and nearly identical wind, so the step from December into January costs you degrees without buying much dryness. Moving out into February, the high climbs back to 48°F and precipitation drops back to 6 days, though wind ticks up slightly to 14.9 mph — meaning February trades a touch more breeze for noticeably warmer playing conditions.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for Wichita, KS for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
← December in Wichita, KS • February in Wichita, KS →
It depends heavily on tee time. The average high only reaches 44°F, so morning rounds in the 20s are genuinely uncomfortable and often frost-delayed. However, January is the second-driest month of the year with just 7 precipitation days, and wind at 14.1 mph is calmer than most other months, so a midday round on a clear day is a legitimate option for cold-weather golfers.
Peak wind in January averages 14.1 mph, which actually makes it the 5th-calmest month of the year in Wichita — calmer than both December (14.3 mph) and February (14.9 mph). That puts wind in the moderate range rather than the punishing gusts Wichita sees in spring, though open prairie-style courses will still funnel whatever breeze exists straight across exposed fairways.