Dover weather in January

In January, Dover sees average daytime highs of 32°F and overnight lows near 19°F, with 3.4 in of precipitation across 9.3 wet days and about 9.2 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 54 min at the start of January to 9 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Dover's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dover's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
12th warmest
Overnight low
19°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.4 in
9.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 06 min
7:19 AM – 4:27 PM
Cloud cover
56%
2nd clearest
Wind
9 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.94 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Dover is county seat city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States.

Density
411/km²
people per km²
Founded
1623

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 32°F through the month.

A typical January day in Dover reaches about 32°F in the afternoon and slips back to 19°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°F and 45°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 6°F cooler than December and about 2°F cooler than February.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13422
23421
33421
43421
53320
63320
73320
83320
93320
103319
113319
123219
133219
143219
153219
163218
173218
183218
193218
203118
213118
223118
233118
243118
253218
263218
273218
283218
293218
303218
313218

How January really feels in Dover

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
31 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Dover weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 19°3.49.36.89.20.0
Feb34° / 20°3.296.110.20.0
Mar42° / 28°4.210.95.411.60.4
Apr54° / 38°4.010.51.413.13.1
May64° / 48°3.010.3014.45.5
Jun74° / 58°3.610.8015.16.5
Jul79° / 64°3.210.7014.96.5
Aug78° / 62°3.39.2013.86.9
Sep71° / 55°3.48.3012.36.9
Oct59° / 45°4.29.50.210.84.8
Nov48° / 35°3.69.21.29.51.8
Dec38° / 26°4.410.45.28.90.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% 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 47%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
35248
45248
55248
65149
75149
85149
95149
105149
115149
125149
135248
145248
155248
165248
175347
185347
195347
205347
215347
225446
235446
245446
255545
265545
275545
285545
295446
305347
315347

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Dover gets around 3.4 in of rain and snow over 9.3 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 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13219
23220
33220
43221
53221
63221
73222
83222
93222
103223
113223
123224
133224
143224
153224
163124
173124
183123
193023
203023
212922
222922
232922
242822
252821
262821
272821
282821
292821
302821
312821

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

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 54 min at the start of January to 9 h 36 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 7:21 AM to 7:08 AM, and sunset from 4:12 PM to 4:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.97:214:12
28.97:214:13
38.97:214:14
48.97:214:15
58.97:214:16
68.97:214:17
78.97:214:17
89.07:214:18
99.07:214:19
109.07:214:20
119.07:204:21
129.07:204:22
139.17:204:24
149.17:194:25
159.17:194:26
169.17:194:27
179.27:184:28
189.27:184:29
199.27:174:30
209.27:174:32
219.37:164:33
229.37:154:34
239.37:154:35
249.47:144:36
259.47:134:38
269.47:134:39
279.57:124:40
289.57:114:41
299.57:104:43
309.67:094:44
319.67:084:45

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 1.94 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.54 kWh/m² to a high of 6.07 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 1.94 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.7Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.7Dim
71.7Dim
81.7Dim
91.7Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.9Dim
151.9Dim
161.9Dim
171.9Dim
182.0Dim
192.0Moderate
202.0Moderate
212.1Moderate
222.1Moderate
232.1Moderate
242.2Moderate
252.2Moderate
262.2Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Dover

In seasonPeak

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

Dover 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 Dover?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Dover.

What to pack for Dover in January

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

In January, Dover sees daytime highs around 32°F and nights near 19°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 Dover in January

The nearest coast averages about 42°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 14 mi away) is warmest in August at about 65°F and coldest in March near 38°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan42Bracing
Feb39Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May49Bracing
Jun57Bracing
Jul63Cool
Aug65Cool
Sep62Cool
Oct55Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec45Bracing

UV index in Dover in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dover peaks around July 10 at about 7 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighHighModerateModerateLowJul 10UV 7Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Dover?

Dover sits at 43.2°N, 70.9°W, 62 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Rochester, 8.7 mi away.

Topography around Dover

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Dover has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft around an average of 121 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 696 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,943 ft.

The land around Dover is covered by trees (62%) and grassland (20%) within 2 miles, trees (75%) within 10 miles, and trees (67%) and water (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
315 ft
10 miles
696 ft
50 miles
2,943 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: Rochester 8.7 mi · Portsmouth 9.9 mi · Sanford 17 mi · Amesbury 24 mi · Newburyport 27 mi · Biddeford 29 mi · Saco 30 mi · Derry Village 30 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 Dover (43.1979°, -70.8737°, elevation 62 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).