Managua weather in January

In January, Managua sees average daytime highs of 33°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 33°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of January to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Managua's 3rd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Managua's year-round climate.

Daytime high
33°
6th warmest
Overnight low
23°
1st coldest
Rainfall
1 mm
0.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
6:14 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
32%
3rd clearest
Wind
18 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
5.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
out of 10

Managua is Large urban area on Lake Managua, part of the Municipality of Managua, Nicaragua..

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 33°C through the month.

A typical January day in Managua reaches about 33°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 32°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 1°C cooler than February.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13323
23323
33323
43323
53323
63323
73323
83323
93323
103323
113323
123323
133323
143323
153323
163323
173323
183323
193323
203323
213323
223323
233323
243323
253323
263323
273323
283323
293323
303323
313323

How January really feels in Managua

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Managua weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 23°10.211.44.5
Feb34° / 23°10.211.64.0
Mar35° / 23°10.311.93.2
Apr36° / 25°132.812.32.3
May35° / 25°1461512.62.3
Jun32° / 25°15318.912.72.8
Jul33° / 25°6911.512.63.2
Aug33° / 24°10915.612.42.8
Sep32° / 24°1682212.12.6
Oct31° / 24°18721.111.73.1
Nov33° / 24°466.811.44.0
Dec33° / 23°50.711.34.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 12%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18614
28614
38614
48614
58614
68614
78713
88812
98812
108713
118713
128713
138713
148713
158713
168812
178812
188812
198812
208812
218812
228812
238911
248911
258911
268911
278911
288911
298911
308911
318911

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Managua gets around 1 mm of rain over 0.2 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
131
141
151
161
171
181
191
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the muggy band about 52% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 53% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11629622
21630612
31631602
41632601
51733581
61734571
71735561
81736551
91737541
100738541
111739521
121840501
131841501
141841491
151842491
161842491
171842491
181842491
191942490
201942490
211942490
220941490
230842500
240841510
251841500
261841500
271741510
281742500
291742500
301742500
311743500

Wind in January

Winds average 18 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2919light breeze
3019light breeze
3119light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of January to 11 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:09 AM to 6:14 AM, and sunset from 5:27 PM to 5:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.36:095:27
211.36:105:28
311.36:105:28
411.36:105:29
511.36:115:29
611.36:115:30
711.36:115:30
811.36:125:31
911.36:125:31
1011.36:125:32
1111.36:125:32
1211.36:135:33
1311.36:135:33
1411.36:135:34
1511.46:135:35
1611.46:145:35
1711.46:145:36
1811.46:145:36
1911.46:145:37
2011.46:145:37
2111.46:145:38
2211.46:145:38
2311.46:145:39
2411.46:145:39
2511.46:155:40
2611.46:155:40
2711.46:155:40
2811.46:155:41
2911.46:155:41
3011.56:155:42
3111.56:145:42

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.35 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.69 kWh/m² to a high of 6.63 kWh/m² in April across the year — January's 5.35 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.3Bright
125.3Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.4Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Managua

In seasonPeak

None of Managua's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Managua sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Managua's rainy season runs August–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Managua?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.0
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Managua for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Managua in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Managua sees daytime highs around 33°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Managua in January

The nearest coast averages about 27°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 50 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Managua in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Managua peaks around March 22 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 9 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 22UV 14Dec 14UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Managua in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Managua is worst in July — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.5× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1625 µg/m³Jan 187 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr21Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Managua?

Managua sits at 12.1°N, 86.3°W, 108 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is Ciudad Sandino, 11 km away.

Diriamba

Topography around Managua

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Managua.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Managua has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 173 m around an average of 110 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 894 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,347 m.

The land around Managua is covered by artificial surfaces (82%) within 3 km, trees (41%) and water (27%) within 16 km, and trees (35%), water (32%) and grassland (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
173 m
16 km
894 m
80 km
1,347 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Ciudad Sandino 11 km · El Crucero 17 km · Tipitapa 18 km · Mateare 22 km · Masaya 24 km · San Marcos 25 km · Masatepe 27 km · Diriamba 31 km

Nicaragua travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,173
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.3
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
16.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 512
Religion
Roman Catholic 45%Protestant 39%none 14%other 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Managua (12.1328°, -86.2504°, elevation 108 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).