Winston-Salem weather in January: Winston-Salem, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Winston-Salem in January has a normal high of 49°F and a normal low of 31°F, a daily mean of 40°F, holding near 49°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 3.35 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 9°C and low of −1°C, 85 mm of precipitation in January.
- NOAA stationWinston Salem Rynlds Airport
- Station IDUSW00093807
- Location36.13°N 80.22°W
- Elevation970 ft (296 m)
- Population255,769
- Jan 49° 31°
- Feb 53° 33°
- Mar 61° 40°
- Apr 71° 48°
- May 78° 57°
- Jun 85° 65°
- Jul 88° 69°
- Aug 86° 68°
- Sep 80° 61°
- Oct 71° 49°
- Nov 60° 39°
- Dec 52° 34°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Winston-Salem in January?
The normal high is 49°F and the normal low 31°F, for a daily mean of 39.8°F. January is 2.8°F cooler than December and 3.2°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Winston-Salem and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 49°F on January 1 to 50°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 36°F and 43°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 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 20% |
| January 8 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% |
| January 15 | 48°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% |
| January 22 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% |
| January 31 | 50°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% |
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 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 2 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 4 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 5 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 6 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 7 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 8 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 9 | 48°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 10 | 48°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 11 | 48°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 12 | 48°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 13 | 48°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 14 | 48°F | 31°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 15 | 48°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 16 | 48°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 17 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 18 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 19 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 20 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| January 21 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 49°F | 30°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 49°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 49°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 49°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 26 | 49°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 27 | 49°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 28 | 50°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 50°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 30 | 50°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 31 | 50°F | 31°F | 32% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 49°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 31°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.35 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 19
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 10 h 20 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093807; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Winston-Salem in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around January 31 (32%). In all, 3.35 in falls on 10 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Winston-Salem, 19 nights fall to freezing and 2 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093807.
What are the records for January in Winston-Salem?
The warmest January temperature on this station's record (since 1899) is 79°F, on January 28, 1944; the coldest is −10°F, on January 28, 1940. The wettest January brought 11.59 in (1936); the snowiest, 18.9 inches (1962).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 39.8°F: 2021 39.1°F (−0.6), 2022 38.5°F (−1.3), 2023 46.6°F (+6.8), 2024 41.0°F (+1.2), 2025 35.4°F (−4.4), 2026 38.3°F (−1.5). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 39.1°F | −0.6°F | 2.86 in |
| 2022 | 38.5°F | −1.3°F | 4.31 in |
| 2023 | 46.6°F | +6.8°F | 3.53 in |
| 2024 | 41.0°F | +1.2°F | 8.22 in |
| 2025 | 35.4°F | −4.4°F | 1.59 in |
| 2026 | 38.3°F | −1.5°F | – |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093807; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093807. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Winston-Salem 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; Winston-Salem's is 49°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Winston-Salem in December52°F by day, 34°F at night
- Winston-Salem in February53°F by day, 33°F at night
- Winston-Salem 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