Raleigh weather in January: Raleigh, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Raleigh in January has a normal high of 52°F and a normal low of 32°F, a daily mean of 42°F, holding near 52°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 3.43 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 11°C and low of 0°C, 87 mm of precipitation and 7 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationRaleigh-Durham International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013722
- Location35.89°N 78.78°W
- Elevation416 ft (127 m)
- From the center9 miles
- Population499,825
- Jan 52° 32°
- Feb 56° 34°
- Mar 63° 40°
- Apr 73° 49°
- May 80° 58°
- Jun 87° 66°
- Jul 91° 70°
- Aug 89° 69°
- Sep 83° 63°
- Oct 73° 50°
- Nov 63° 40°
- Dec 55° 34°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Raleigh in January?
The normal high is 52°F and the normal low 32°F, for a daily mean of 41.9°F. January is 2.7°F cooler than December and 3.1°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Raleigh and the 7th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 52°F on January 1 to 53°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 3.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 39°F and 45°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% |
| January 8 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% |
| January 15 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% |
| January 22 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% |
| January 31 | 53°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 15)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 2 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 4 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 5 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 6 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 7 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 8 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 9 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 10 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 11 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 12 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 13 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 14 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 15 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 16 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 17 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 18 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 19 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 20 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 21 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 26 | 52°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 27 | 53°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 53°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 53°F | 32°F | 32% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 30 | 53°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 31 | 53°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 52°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 32°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.43 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 2.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 18
- Daylight
- 9 h 50 min to 10 h 20 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 75%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013722; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Raleigh in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around January 1 (33%). In all, 3.43 in falls on 10 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Raleigh, 18 nights fall to freezing, 2 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 2.6 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 2 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013722.
How humid and windy is Raleigh in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 51°F with 41% relative humidity and a dew point of 28°F; at 6 a.m. it is 35°F with 75% humidity. The wind averages 6.6 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 35°F | 28°F | 75% | 4.9 mph | 44% |
| 9 a.m. | 39°F | 29°F | 69% | 6.3 mph | 34% |
| noon | 47°F | 29°F | 48% | 8.8 mph | 34% |
| 3 p.m. | 51°F | 28°F | 41% | 9.3 mph | 30% |
| 6 p.m. | 47°F | 28°F | 49% | 6.2 mph | 34% |
| 9 p.m. | 42°F | 29°F | 60% | 5.8 mph | 46% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013722. 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 Raleigh?
The warmest January temperature on Raleigh's official record (since 1887) is 80°F, on January 30, 2002; the coldest is −9°F, on January 21, 1985. The wettest January brought 7.52 in (1954); the snowiest, 25.8 inches (2000).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 41.9°F: 2021 41.0°F (−0.9), 2022 39.7°F (−2.2), 2023 49.5°F (+7.6), 2024 45.1°F (+3.2), 2025 38.7°F (−3.2), 2026 39.9°F (−2.0). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41.0°F | −0.9°F | 5.42 in |
| 2022 | 39.7°F | −2.2°F | 5.97 in |
| 2023 | 49.5°F | +7.6°F | 3.11 in |
| 2024 | 45.1°F | +3.2°F | 4.45 in |
| 2025 | 38.7°F | −3.2°F | 1.76 in |
| 2026 | 39.9°F | −2.0°F | 1.34 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RDUthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013722. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Raleigh compare across North Carolina?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in North Carolina, January normal highs run from 35°F in Beech Mountain to 60°F in Southport; Raleigh's is 52°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Raleigh in December55°F by day, 34°F at night
- Raleigh in February56°F by day, 34°F at night
- Raleigh through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- North Carolina in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Southport: North Carolina's warmest Januarynormal high 60°F