Wilmington weather in January: Wilmington, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Wilmington in January has a normal high of 57°F and a normal low of 36°F, a daily mean of 47°F, holding near 57°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 3.81 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 14°C and low of 2°C, 97 mm of precipitation and 2 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationWilmington Int'l Airport
- Station IDUSW00013748
- Location34.27°N 77.90°W
- Elevation33 ft (10 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population125,284
- Jan 57° 36°
- Feb 60° 38°
- Mar 67° 44°
- Apr 75° 53°
- May 81° 61°
- Jun 87° 69°
- Jul 90° 73°
- Aug 88° 72°
- Sep 84° 67°
- Oct 76° 56°
- Nov 67° 45°
- Dec 60° 39°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Wilmington in January?
The normal high is 57°F and the normal low 36°F, for a daily mean of 46.8°F. January is 2.9°F cooler than December and 2.5°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Wilmington and the 8th wettest, and the snowiest. 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 43°F and 50°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 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% |
| January 8 | 57°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% |
| January 15 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% |
| January 22 | 57°F | 36°F | 33% | 20% |
| January 31 | 58°F | 37°F | 33% | 21% |
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 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 2 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 4 | 57°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 5 | 57°F | 37°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 6 | 57°F | 37°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 7 | 57°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 8 | 57°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 9 | 57°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 10 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 11 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 12 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 13 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 14 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| January 15 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 16 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 17 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 18 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 19 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 20 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 21 | 57°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 57°F | 36°F | 33% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 57°F | 36°F | 33% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 24 | 57°F | 36°F | 33% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 25 | 57°F | 36°F | 33% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 26 | 57°F | 36°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 57°F | 36°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 58°F | 36°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 58°F | 36°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 30 | 58°F | 37°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 30 min |
| January 31 | 58°F | 37°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 57°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 36°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.81 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 13
- Daylight
- 9 h 50 min to 10 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 5
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013748; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Wilmington in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around January 31 (33%). In all, 3.81 in falls on 10 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Wilmington, 13 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.7 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013748.
What are the records for January in Wilmington?
The warmest January temperature on Wilmington's official record (since 1874) is 83°F, on January 26, 2024; the coldest is 5°F, on January 21, 1985. The wettest January brought 10.22 in (1991); the snowiest, 8.6 inches (1912).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 46.8°F: 2021 47.2°F (+0.4), 2022 45.0°F (−1.8), 2023 53.1°F (+6.4), 2024 48.7°F (+1.9), 2025 40.7°F (−6.1), 2026 44.5°F (−2.3). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47.2°F | +0.4°F | 4.79 in |
| 2022 | 45.0°F | −1.8°F | 4.14 in |
| 2023 | 53.1°F | +6.4°F | 2.48 in |
| 2024 | 48.7°F | +1.9°F | 1.68 in |
| 2025 | 40.7°F | −6.1°F | 2.63 in |
| 2026 | 44.5°F | −2.3°F | 1.41 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ILMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013748. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Wilmington 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; Wilmington's is 57°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Wilmington in December60°F by day, 39°F at night
- Wilmington in February60°F by day, 38°F at night
- Wilmington 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