Charleston weather in January: Charleston, South Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Charleston in January has a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 39°F, a daily mean of 50°F, holding near 60°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal January, 3.37 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 16°C and low of 4°C, 86 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationCharleston International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013880
- Location32.90°N 80.04°W
- Elevation40 ft (12 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population157,665
- Jan 60° 39°
- Feb 64° 42°
- Mar 70° 47°
- Apr 77° 55°
- May 84° 63°
- Jun 89° 70°
- Jul 91° 74°
- Aug 90° 73°
- Sep 85° 68°
- Oct 78° 58°
- Nov 69° 47°
- Dec 63° 42°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Charleston in January?
The normal high is 60°F and the normal low 39°F, for a daily mean of 49.5°F. January is 2.7°F cooler than December and 3.2°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Charleston and the 6th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 60°F on January 1 to 61°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 3.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 46°F and 53°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 30%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 60°F | 40°F | 29% | 19% |
| January 8 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% |
| January 15 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% |
| January 22 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% |
| January 31 | 61°F | 39°F | 30% | 18% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 14)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 60°F | 40°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 2 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 3 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 4 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 5 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 6 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 7 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 8 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 13 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 14 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 15 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 16 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 17 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 18 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 19 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 20 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 21 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 22 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 23 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 24 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 25 | 60°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 26 | 61°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 27 | 61°F | 39°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 28 | 61°F | 39°F | 30% | 18% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 29 | 61°F | 39°F | 30% | 18% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 30 | 61°F | 39°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 31 | 61°F | 39°F | 30% | 18% | 10 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 60°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 39°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.37 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 9
- Daylight
- 10 h to 10 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 7
- Sunshine
- 77%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013880; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Charleston in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 29% on average, highest around January 30 (30%). In all, 3.37 in falls on 9 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Charleston, 9 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.2 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013880.
How humid and windy is Charleston in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 59°F with 45% relative humidity and a dew point of 37°F; at 6 a.m. it is 43°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 8.4 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 43°F | 37°F | 80% | 7.0 mph | 55% |
| 9 a.m. | 47°F | 38°F | 72% | 8.8 mph | 49% |
| noon | 56°F | 38°F | 51% | 10.4 mph | 49% |
| 3 p.m. | 59°F | 37°F | 45% | 11.3 mph | 48% |
| 6 p.m. | 53°F | 39°F | 58% | 8.9 mph | 50% |
| 9 p.m. | 48°F | 39°F | 71% | 6.9 mph | 57% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013880. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for January in Charleston?
The warmest January temperature on Charleston's official record (since 1937) is 83°F, on January 16, 1950; the coldest is 6°F, on January 21, 1985. The wettest January brought 8.92 in (1993); the snowiest, 5.3 inches (2018).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 49.5°F: 2021 50.7°F (+1.2), 2022 47.2°F (−2.3), 2023 55.7°F (+6.2), 2024 51.9°F (+2.4), 2025 43.5°F (−6.0), 2026 48.1°F (−1.4). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50.7°F | +1.2°F | 4.44 in |
| 2022 | 47.2°F | −2.3°F | 2.13 in |
| 2023 | 55.7°F | +6.2°F | 3.74 in |
| 2024 | 51.9°F | +2.4°F | 1.94 in |
| 2025 | 43.5°F | −6.0°F | 2.09 in |
| 2026 | 48.1°F | −1.4°F | 2.38 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CHSthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013880. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Charleston compare across South Carolina?
Across the 73 places PlainClimate covers in South Carolina, January normal highs run from 45°F in Caesars Head to 62°F in Hampton; Charleston's is 60°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Charleston in December63°F by day, 42°F at night
- Charleston in February64°F by day, 42°F at night
- Charleston through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Carolina in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Hampton: South Carolina's warmest Januarynormal high 62°F