Barnstable weather in January

In January, Barnstable sees average daytime highs of 38°F and overnight lows near 30°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation across 11.2 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 40°F in the first days to 37°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 hours at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Barnstable's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Barnstable's year-round climate.

Daytime high
38°
11th warmest
Overnight low
30°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
4.3 in
11.2 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:12 AM – 4:29 PM
Cloud cover
64%
11th clearest
Wind
17 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Barnstable is town in Massachusetts, United States.

Density
241/km²
people per km²
Founded
1637

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

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 40°F in the first days to 37°F by the end.

A typical January day in Barnstable reaches about 38°F in the afternoon and slips back to 30°F overnight — a 8°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°F and 48°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 5°F cooler than December and on par with February.

20°30°40°50°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14032
24032
34032
44032
54031
64031
73931
83931
93931
103931
113930
123830
133830
143830
153830
163829
173829
183829
193729
203729
213729
223729
233729
243729
253729
263729
273729
283729
293729
303729
313729

How January really feels in Barnstable

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 31 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
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.

Barnstable weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 30°4.311.24.79.30.0
Feb38° / 30°3.8104.710.30.0
Mar41° / 34°4.811.23.711.70.1
Apr47° / 42°4.311.30.613.11.5
May55° / 50°3.610.3014.33.5
Jun64° / 60°3.28.20155.9
Jul71° / 67°2.57.7014.77.0
Aug71° / 67°3.17.8013.77.1
Sep66° / 62°4.08.3012.36.5
Oct59° / 54°4.810.1010.94.6
Nov51° / 44°4.4100.39.62.4
Dec43° / 36°5.1122.890.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24357
34357
44357
54258
64258
74258
84159
94060
104060
114060
124060
134060
144060
154060
164060
174060
184060
194060
204159
214159
224159
234258
244357
254456
264456
274456
284456
294456
304456
314456

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Barnstable gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 11.2 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 36% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13612
23612
33613
43613
53613
63613
73614
83714
93714
103714
113715
123815
133816
143816
153816
163816
173817
183817
193717
203717
213717
223617
233617
243517
253517
263516
273416
283416
293416
303416
313416

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 17 mph in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 17 mph on the calmest days to 17 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
117breezy
217breezy
317breezy
417breezy
517breezy
617breezy
717breezy
817breezy
917breezy
1017breezy
1117breezy
1217breezy
1317breezy
1417breezy
1517breezy
1617breezy
1717breezy
1817breezy
1917breezy
2017breezy
2117breezy
2217breezy
2317breezy
2417breezy
2517breezy
2617breezy
2717breezy
2817breezy
2917breezy
3017breezy
3117breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 hours at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:14 AM to 7:02 AM, and sunset from 4:15 PM to 4:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.07:144:15
29.07:144:16
39.07:144:17
49.17:144:17
59.17:144:18
69.17:144:19
79.17:144:20
89.17:144:21
99.17:144:22
109.27:134:23
119.27:134:24
129.27:134:25
139.27:134:26
149.27:134:27
159.37:124:28
169.37:124:29
179.37:114:30
189.37:114:31
199.47:104:32
209.47:104:34
219.47:094:35
229.57:094:36
239.57:084:37
249.57:084:38
259.57:074:39
269.67:064:41
279.67:064:42
289.67:054:43
299.77:044:44
309.77:034:46
319.77:024:47

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 1.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.58 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 1.91 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.7Dim
31.7Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.7Dim
71.7Dim
81.7Dim
91.7Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.8Dim
151.9Dim
161.9Dim
171.9Dim
181.9Dim
192.0Dim
202.0Dim
212.0Moderate
222.0Moderate
232.1Moderate
242.1Moderate
252.1Moderate
262.2Moderate
272.2Moderate
282.2Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Barnstable

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is January a good time to visit Barnstable?

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
7th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Barnstable.

What to pack for Barnstable in January

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

In January, Barnstable sees daytime highs around 38°F and nights near 30°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Barnstable in January

The nearest coast averages about 40°F in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in February near 37°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 5 to Aug 23 — about 0.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan40Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May51Bracing
Jun59Cool
Jul67Cool
Aug69Refreshing
Sep66Cool
Oct59Cool
Nov51Bracing
Dec45Bracing

UV index in Barnstable 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 Barnstable peaks around June 21 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 8Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Barnstable?

Barnstable sits at 41.7°N, 70.3°W, 36 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Yarmouth, 3.7 mi away.

Topography around Barnstable

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Barnstable.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Barnstable has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 ft around an average of 56 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 630 ft.

The land around Barnstable is covered by trees (51%) and water (25%) within 2 miles, water (58%) and trees (32%) within 10 miles, and water (74%) and trees (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
171 ft
10 miles
315 ft
50 miles
630 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Yarmouth 3.7 mi · Provincetown 25 mi · Duxbury 30 mi · Fairhaven 32 mi · New Bedford 33 mi · Middleborough 34 mi · Hanover 39 mi · Taunton 43 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

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 Barnstable (41.7001°, -70.2995°, elevation 36 ft), 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).