January in Fresno
Tule fog, short days, and citrus at its peak. Snow is an hour and a half up the hill.
55°F / 38°F
Cold and often foggy. Tule fog can last for days and makes driving slow. Highs in the mid 50s, lows near freezing overnight.
January is the coldest, foggiest month in Fresno. Tule fog can settle over the valley floor for days and drops visibility on Highway 99 and the back roads to a few car lengths, so drive slow and leave early. Days are short and highs sit in the mid 50s. The move is to plan around the fog. Keep indoor options ready, drive up to the Sierra snow when the valley is socked in, and get out for the citrus and the green foothills when the sun breaks through.
Foggy-Day Indoor Picks
When the tule fog will not lift, the day belongs to indoor places. These are worth the short drive across town when you would rather not be out in it.
Fresno Art Museum
The Fresno Art Museum sits in Radio Park in central Fresno. It is the only accredited art museum between Sacramento and Bakersfield, with a standing focus on California and Mexican modern art. It rotates exhibitions through the year and is small enough to do in an hour or two on a gray afternoon.
Admission is free on the first Sunday of most months. Check the schedule before you go.
Meux Home Museum
The Meux Home is a restored 1889 Victorian house near downtown Fresno, one of the oldest homes left in the city. Docents walk you through the rooms and the family history. Tours run on limited days, so check the schedule before driving over.
Maya Cinemas
The Maya theater on Fulton Street is the easy downtown move on a fogged-in day. Catch a matinee and grab food along the redone Fulton stretch afterward. It is a reliable way to spend the hours when the valley will not clear.
Snow in the Sierra
When the valley is cold and gray, the snow is about an hour and a half up Highway 168. Carry chains and check road conditions before you leave, since the highway can require them past Shaver Lake.
China Peak Mountain Resort
China Peak is the closest downhill ski area to Fresno, about an hour and a half up Highway 168 past Shaver Lake at around 7,000 feet. It runs lifts, terrain for all levels, and rentals through the winter when the snow holds. Snow depth and open days swing with the storms, so check the conditions report before committing to the drive.
Chains are often required on Highway 168 above Shaver Lake in winter. Carry a set even if your car has all-wheel drive, since checkpoints can require them regardless.
Shaver Lake Snow Play
The area around Shaver Lake, about an hour up Highway 168 at 5,400 feet, is the closest spot for sledding and playing in the snow without lift tickets. Snow levels vary, so check conditions to be sure there is cover. The small town has food and supplies for the day.
Tamarack Snow Play Area
Tamarack is a designated snow-play area in the Sierra National Forest near Shaver Lake, set up for sledding rather than skiing. It needs good snow cover to be worth it and can require a pass on busy days. Check the forest conditions before heading up.
Citrus Season
January is the peak of citrus season in Fresno County, the top agricultural county in the country. Navel oranges and mandarins are at their best, and farm stands and U-pick spots run through the cold months.
Navel Oranges at County Farm Stands
Fresno County grows a large share of the nation's navel oranges, and January is when they hit their peak. Roadside farm stands east of Fresno toward Reedley and Sanger sell them by the bag for far less than grocery prices. Many also carry lemons, grapefruit, and late-season persimmons.
Mandarin U-Pick
Several farms around the county open their mandarin groves for U-pick through the winter. You walk the rows, pick your own, and pay by the pound, which makes an easy outing with kids on a clear day. The farms and open days change year to year, so check which ones are picking before you drive out.
Go on a clear, sunny weekday morning. Weekends after a sunny spell get crowded once word spreads that the fog has lifted.
Simonian Farms
Simonian Farms is a long-running farm stand and market on the east side of Fresno, stocked with valley citrus, nuts, and produce through the winter. The old country store and antique displays make it more than a quick stop. It is an easy introduction to what the county grows.
Green-Hills Walks
Winter rain turns the brown foothills around Fresno green for a few months. On a clear January day, the lower trails are cool, quiet, and at their best before the spring heat.
San Joaquin River Gorge
About 45 minutes northeast of Fresno near Auberry, the San Joaquin River Gorge has trails that drop through oak woodland to the river and a footbridge across it. After winter rain the slopes turn green and the river runs full. The cool temperatures make January one of the better times to do the climb back out.
Lewis S. Eaton Trail
The Eaton Trail runs along the bluffs above the San Joaquin River on the north edge of Fresno. It is paved, mostly flat, and pleasant on a clear winter day when the parkway is green. Start near Woodward Park and walk down toward the water.
Woodward Park
Woodward Park is the big regional park in north Fresno, with shaded paths, a bird sanctuary, and the Shinzen Japanese Garden. In winter the lawns and hills green up and the loops stay quiet on cold mornings. It is the easy option when the fog has cleared but you do not want to drive out of town.
January Events
January in Fresno is quiet, but the new year brings the first events back. Most are indoors or built around a clear, cold day.
MLK Day Events
Fresno marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day in mid January with events downtown, including a march and program led by local groups. The gatherings center on west Fresno and downtown. Check local listings for the route and times closer to the date.
ArtHop
ArtHop is the free art walk on the first Thursday of every month, centered in the Tower District and downtown. Galleries and studios open in the evening and the Tower restaurants stay busy. In January it works as an indoor-and-out evening when the weather cooperates.
Fresno State Basketball
Fresno State plays Mountain West basketball through the winter at the Save Mart Center on the east side of town. A weeknight home game is a warm, dry way to spend a cold January evening. Check the schedule for the current homestand.