Carteret weather in January

In January, Carteret sees average daytime highs of 39°F and overnight lows near 27°F, with 3.2 in of precipitation across 9.2 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 39°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of January to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Carteret's 8th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Carteret's year-round climate.

Daytime high
39°
12th warmest
Overnight low
27°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.2 in
9.2 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:24 AM – 4:48 PM
Cloud cover
60%
8th clearest
Wind
8 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.14 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 39°F through the month.

A typical January day in Carteret reaches about 39°F in the afternoon and slips back to 27°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°F and 52°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 5°F cooler than December and about 2°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14129
24129
34129
44029
54029
64028
74028
84028
94028
104028
114028
123927
133927
143927
153927
163927
173926
183926
193826
203826
213826
223826
233826
243826
253826
263826
273826
283926
293926
303926
313926

How January really feels in Carteret

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.

Carteret weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan39° / 27°3.29.23.99.40.0
Feb42° / 28°3.08.53.410.40.3
Mar49° / 35°4.210.42.811.72.0
Apr61° / 46°3.610.60.3134.8
May70° / 55°3.411.1014.26.3
Jun79° / 65°4.011.1014.86.3
Jul84° / 71°4.111.3014.65.2
Aug82° / 69°4.110.6013.66.0
Sep76° / 62°3.79.2012.37.0
Oct65° / 51°3.78.5010.96.0
Nov53° / 40°3.07.80.39.73.3
Dec44° / 32°3.99.529.20.8

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34753
44654
54654
64654
74654
84555
94555
104555
114555
124555
134456
144555
154555
164555
174555
184555
194555
204456
214456
224456
234456
244555
254456
264456
274456
284456
294555
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Carteret gets around 3.2 in of rain and snow over 9.2 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 30% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1309
23110
33110
43111
53211
63212
73212
83213
93213
103213
113213
123213
133213
143113
153113
163013
173013
183013
192913
202913
212813
222813
232713
242712
252712
262612
272612
282612
292611
302612
312712

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 8 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of January to 9 h 48 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 7:26 AM to 7:15 AM, and sunset from 4:34 PM to 5:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:264:34
29.27:264:35
39.27:264:36
49.27:264:37
59.27:264:38
69.27:264:38
79.27:264:39
89.27:264:40
99.37:264:41
109.37:264:42
119.37:264:43
129.37:254:44
139.37:254:45
149.47:254:46
159.47:254:47
169.47:244:48
179.47:244:49
189.47:234:50
199.57:234:51
209.57:234:52
219.57:224:54
229.67:224:55
239.67:214:56
249.67:204:57
259.67:204:58
269.77:194:59
279.77:185:00
289.77:185:02
299.87:175:03
309.87:165:04
319.87:155:05

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.14 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.77 kWh/m² to a high of 5.95 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.14 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.9Dim
51.9Dim
61.9Dim
71.9Dim
81.9Dim
91.9Dim
102.0Dim
112.0Dim
122.0Moderate
132.0Moderate
142.1Moderate
152.1Moderate
162.1Moderate
172.1Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.5Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Carteret

In seasonPeak

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

Carteret 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 Carteret?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Carteret.

What to pack for Carteret in January

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

In January, Carteret sees daytime highs around 39°F and nights near 27°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Carteret in January

The nearest coast averages about 43°F 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 mi away) is warmest in August at about 74°F and coldest in February near 40°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 30 to Sep 26 — about 2.9 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan43Bracing
Feb40Bracing
Mar41Bracing
Apr46Bracing
May55Bracing
Jun65Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug74Refreshing
Sep71Refreshing
Oct63Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec48Bracing

UV index in Carteret 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 Carteret peaks around July 11 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Carteret 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 Carteret is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (November, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 1318 µg/m³Nov 1410 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov10Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Carteret?

Carteret sits at 40.6°N, 74.2°W, 13 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Rossville, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Carteret

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Carteret has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft around an average of 23 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 489 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,755 ft.

The land around Carteret is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (35%), trees (29%) and water (25%) within 10 miles, and trees (54%) and water (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
200 ft
10 miles
489 ft
50 miles
1,755 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Rossville 1.9 mi · Avenel 3.1 mi · Woodrow 3.1 mi · Linden 3.1 mi · Woodbridge 3.1 mi · Rahway 3.1 mi · New Springville 3.7 mi · Colonia 3.7 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 Carteret (40.5773°, -74.2282°, elevation 13 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. 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).