T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp weather in January

In January, T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 41 mm of precipitation across 5.8 wet days and about 9.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 2°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 18 min at the start of January to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp's 2nd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12th warmest
Overnight low
-2°
1st coldest
Precipitation
41 mm
5.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 30 min
7:51 AM – 5:24 PM
Cloud cover
39%
2nd clearest
Wind
21 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 2°C through the month.

A typical January day in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -2°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -2°C and 5°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°C cooler than December and about 1°C cooler than February.

-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13-1
23-1
33-1
42-1
52-2
62-2
72-2
82-2
92-2
102-2
112-2
122-2
132-2
142-2
152-2
162-2
172-2
182-2
192-2
202-2
212-2
222-2
232-2
242-2
252-2
262-2
272-2
282-2
292-2
302-2
312-2

How January really feels in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 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
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -2°415.84.99.60.0
Feb / -1°3453.910.50.0
Mar / 446.62.911.70.8
Apr11° / 656.80.3133.2
May16° / 12°998014.15.4
Jun20° / 17°959.1014.76.4
Jul24° / 21°22313.1014.56.2
Aug25° / 22°22213.8013.56.3
Sep21° / 19°1449.3012.36.7
Oct17° / 14°747.20115.9
Nov10° / 807.90.59.92.7
Dec / 445.62.79.30.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27228
37228
47228
57129
67129
77030
87030
96931
106832
116832
126733
136733
146733
156733
166733
176733
186733
196733
206733
216733
226733
236733
246832
256832
266832
276931
286931
296931
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp gets around 41 mm of rain and snow over 5.8 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 19% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11610
21611
31611
41612
51612
61613
71713
81714
91715
101815
111816
121917
131917
141918
152018
162018
172019
182119
192119
202119
212118
222118
232018
242017
252017
261916
271916
281916
291915
301815
311815

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 21 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 20 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
321breezy
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1620breezy
1720breezy
1820breezy
1920breezy
2020breezy
2120breezy
2220breezy
2320breezy
2420breezy
2520breezy
2620breezy
2720breezy
2820breezy
2920breezy
3020breezy
3120breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 18 min at the start of January to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:52 AM to 7:43 AM, and sunset from 5:11 PM to 5:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.37:525:11
29.37:525:12
39.37:535:12
49.37:535:13
59.47:535:14
69.47:535:15
79.47:535:16
89.47:535:17
99.47:535:18
109.47:535:18
119.47:525:19
129.57:525:20
139.57:525:21
149.57:525:22
159.57:525:23
169.57:515:24
179.67:515:25
189.67:515:26
199.67:505:27
209.67:505:28
219.77:495:29
229.77:495:30
239.77:485:32
249.77:485:33
259.87:475:34
269.87:475:35
279.87:465:36
289.97:455:37
299.97:455:38
309.97:445:39
3110.07:435:40

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.23 kWh/m² to a high of 5.87 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.57 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.4Moderate
22.4Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.5Moderate
152.5Moderate
162.5Moderate
172.5Moderate
182.6Moderate
192.6Moderate
202.6Moderate
212.6Moderate
222.7Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.9Moderate
282.9Moderate
292.9Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.0Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

In seasonPeak

In January, T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp's rainy season runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp.

What to pack for T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp in January

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

In January, T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -2°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coata windbreaker

Sea temperature near T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp in January

The nearest coast averages about 6°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 19 km away) is warmest in August at about 24°C and coldest in February near 4°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 2 to Sep 30 — about 3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb4Bracing
Mar5Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May13Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug24Warm
Sep22Refreshing
Oct18Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp peaks around August 17 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateLowAug 17UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun7Very high
Jul7High
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp 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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is worst in March — around 44 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.9× the cleanest month (September, 15 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMar 1944 µg/m³Sep 1016 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan33Moderate
Feb36Poor
Mar44Poor
Apr40Poor
May32Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct22Moderate
Nov27Moderate
Dec27Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp?

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sits at 39.0°N, 127.9°E, 6 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Anbyŏn-ŭp, 33 km away.

HoeyangKosanWŏnsanKowŏn-ŭpKosongYangguHwacheon

Topography around T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp.

Within 3 km, the terrain around T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 168 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,075 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,642 m.

The land around T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is covered by water (41%) and cropland (37%) within 3 km, water (48%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and trees (48%) and water (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
168 m
16 km
1,075 m
80 km
1,642 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Anbyŏn-ŭp 33 km · Hoeyang 37 km · Kosan 42 km · Wŏnsan 45 km · Kowŏn-ŭp 78 km · Kosong 81 km · Yanggu 95 km · Hwacheon 96 km

North Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Safe drinking water
67%
of population, 2023
Road deaths
24.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp (38.9539°, 127.8917°, elevation 6 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).