San Carlos weather in January

In January, San Carlos sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 36 mm of rain across 14.9 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of January to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is San Carlos's 3rd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Carlos's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
12th warmest
Overnight low
23°
1st coldest
Rainfall
36 mm
14.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
6:06 AM – 5:31 PM
Cloud cover
48%
3rd clearest
Wind
16 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
4.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
out of 10

San Carlos is Urban area of the San Carlos Municipality in Nicaragua. Seat of the San Carlos Municipality..

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 28°C through the month.

A typical January day in San Carlos reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12823
22823
32823
42823
52823
62823
72823
82823
92823
102823
112823
122823
132823
142823
152823
162823
172823
182823
192823
202823
212823
222823
232823
242823
252823
262823
272823
282823
292823
302823
312823

How January really feels in San Carlos

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

San Carlos weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 23°3614.911.45.8
Feb29° / 23°2510.111.65.7
Mar30° / 23°166.611.95.6
Apr31° / 24°308.712.24.5
May31° / 24°18022.812.53.2
Jun30° / 24°24528.912.62.7
Jul29° / 24°22029.412.62.9
Aug29° / 24°21829.712.42.8
Sep30° / 24°2522912.12.7
Oct29° / 24°26329.111.83.0
Nov29° / 23°14722.611.53.9
Dec28° / 23°641811.45.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 33% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 26%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16832
26832
36832
46931
56931
67030
77030
87030
97030
107030
117030
127129
137129
147228
157327
167327
177525
187525
197624
207624
217822
227822
237921
247921
258020
268020
278119
288119
298218
308218
318218

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

San Carlos gets around 36 mm of rain over 14.9 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 47% and peaks near 53% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
153
253
352
452
552
652
751
851
950
1049
1149
1248
1348
1448
1547
1647
1747
1846
1946
2045
2145
2244
2344
2444
2543
2643
2742
2842
2942
3042
3142

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 66% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 95% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
142076
242175
342175
452273
552273
652372
752471
852570
952669
1052768
1152867
1262866
1362965
1463064
1563064
1663064
1763163
1863163
1963262
2063262
2163361
2253362
2353461
2453461
2553461
2643561
2743561
2843561
2943561
3043660
3143660

Wind in January

Winds average 16 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 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 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:02 AM to 6:07 AM, and sunset from 5:23 PM to 5:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:025:23
211.46:025:24
311.46:025:24
411.46:035:25
511.46:035:25
611.46:035:26
711.46:045:26
811.46:045:27
911.46:045:27
1011.46:055:28
1111.46:055:28
1211.46:055:29
1311.46:055:29
1411.46:065:30
1511.46:065:30
1611.46:065:31
1711.46:065:31
1811.46:065:32
1911.46:075:32
2011.46:075:33
2111.46:075:33
2211.46:075:34
2311.56:075:34
2411.56:075:35
2511.56:075:35
2611.56:075:36
2711.56:075:36
2811.56:075:36
2911.56:075:37
3011.56:075:37
3111.56:075:38

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.08 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.57 kWh/m² to a high of 5.62 kWh/m² in April across the year — January's 4.08 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.9Moderate
83.9Moderate
93.9Moderate
104.0Moderate
114.0Moderate
124.0Moderate
134.0Bright
144.0Bright
154.0Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for San Carlos

In seasonPeak

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

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

San Carlos's rainy season runs May–November, 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 San Carlos?

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

5.8
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.3
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for San Carlos in January

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

In January, San Carlos sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 15 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

UV index in San Carlos 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 San Carlos peaks around March 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 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 19UV 14Dec 16UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov10Extreme
Dec9Very high

Air quality in San Carlos 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 San Carlos is worst in July — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1623 µg/m³Dec 127 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr18Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul24Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is San Carlos?

San Carlos sits at 11.1°N, 84.8°W, 0 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is El Castillo, 43 km away.

El CastilloSan JoséNueva GuineaLiberia

Topography around San Carlos

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Carlos has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 67 m around an average of 35 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 152 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,960 m.

The land around San Carlos is covered by water (46%) and trees (35%) within 3 km, water (39%), grassland (30%) and trees (29%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and grassland (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
67 m
16 km
152 m
80 km
1,960 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: El Castillo 43 km · San José 44 km · Nueva Guinea 72 km · La Fortuna 74 km · Cañas 85 km · Liberia 90 km · Monteverde 91 km · Quesada 97 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 San Carlos (11.1271°, -84.7779°, elevation 0 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). 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).