Honestly, if you've lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than a week, you know the "official" forecast is sometimes just a polite suggestion. But right now, things are looking surprisingly stable. As of Sunday morning, January 18, 2026, Vancouver is sitting at a crisp 44°F under mostly sunny skies. It’s one of those rare January days where you can actually see the sky instead of that endless gray "wet blanket" we’re used to.
The air is still. West winds are barely moving at 1 mph.
If you're heading out to Waterfront Park or grabbing coffee downtown, keep the layers on. The humidity is hanging around 59%, which makes that 44-degree air feel just a bit sharper against your skin than the number suggests.
The Week Ahead: Sun, Frost, and a Slow Fade to Rain
Don't get too used to the sunglasses. While today and Monday look gorgeous, Vancouver weather is famously fickle. We are currently in a "dry pocket" before the typical late-January moisture returns.
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Today, Sunday (Jan 18): Expect a high of 49°F. It’s sunny, but the real story is tonight. The temperature is going to tank down to 27°F. That means clear skies but serious frost. If you have sensitive plants or a car parked outside, you're going to be scraping ice in the morning.
Monday (Jan 19): Martin Luther King Jr. Day is looking like a winner. We'll hit 50°F with more sun. Overnight lows will be slightly warmer at 30°F, but still firmly in the "frost zone."
The Mid-Week Shift:
By Tuesday, we start seeing some "partly sunny" intervals with a high of 49°F. By Wednesday and Thursday, the clouds start winning the battle. Highs will hover in the mid-to-high 40s (48°F Wednesday, 45°F Thursday).
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Precipitation Realities
You might see "snow" mentioned in some long-range models for this week, but let's be real—in Vancouver, that usually means a 5% to 10% chance of a stray flake that melts before it hits the pavement.
Actual rain chances stay low (under 10%) until Thursday night. That's when the "light rain" returns, with chances jumping to 25% by Friday and Saturday.
Why Vancouver Weather Is So Weird
Basically, we’re stuck in a geographic tug-of-war. We have the Columbia River Gorge to our east, which acts like a giant wind tunnel. When cold air from the interior of the continent gets sucked through that gap, it hits the moist air from the Pacific.
That's how we end up with those "ice storms" that paralyze the city while Portland just gets rain.
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Experts at the Washington State Climate Office have been watching the weak La Niña patterns this season. While December 2025 saw some wild atmospheric rivers and flooding across the region, January 2026 has been a bit of a "thaw" period. We’re currently seeing a transition toward neutral conditions, which is why we're getting these beautiful, clear, but freezing sunny days instead of constant downpours.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think Vancouver is just "Seattle Lite" when it comes to weather. It's not.
Our proximity to the Gorge means we often deal with much higher wind chills and different frost patterns than our neighbors further north. Even within the city, someone living up on Prune Hill in Camas might be seeing ice while someone near Pearson Airfield is just seeing a heavy dew.
Survival Tips for the Next 48 Hours
Since we're looking at sub-freezing nights through Tuesday, here’s the move:
- Check the Sprinklers: If you haven't blown out your lines (which, let's face it, some of us forget), make sure they aren't active during these 27-degree nights.
- Scraper Readiness: Put the ice scraper in the front seat tonight. You will need it Monday morning.
- The Layer Rule: It’ll feel like 50°F in the sun tomorrow, but the second you step into the shadow of a building, it’ll feel like 35°F.
The "January Thaw" is a gift, so enjoy the dry pavement while it lasts. By next weekend, we’ll likely be back to the standard 80% humidity and light drizzle that defines a Vancouver winter.
Actionable Insight: Plan your outdoor chores or grocery runs for Monday afternoon. It's statistically the best weather window we have for the next ten days before the humidity climbs back up to 80% and the rain chances become a daily reality starting Friday, January 23.