Elizabeth City weather in January

In January, Elizabeth City sees average daytime highs of 51°F and overnight lows near 36°F, with 3.9 in of precipitation across 9.6 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 51°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Elizabeth City's 4th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Elizabeth City's year-round climate.

Daytime high
51°
12th warmest
Overnight low
36°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.9 in
9.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
7:21 AM – 5:08 PM
Cloud cover
55%
4th clearest
Wind
9 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.53 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.5
out of 10

Elizabeth City is city in Pasquotank County and Camden County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
567/km²
people per km²
Founded
1794

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 51°F through the month.

A typical January day in Elizabeth City reaches about 51°F in the afternoon and slips back to 36°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 37°F and 65°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 4°F cooler than December and about 2°F cooler than February.

20°30°40°50°60°70°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15238
25238
35238
45238
55237
65237
75237
85137
95137
105137
115137
125137
135136
145136
155136
165036
175036
185035
195035
205035
215035
225035
235035
245035
255035
265035
275035
285035
295035
305035
315135

How January really feels in Elizabeth City

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.

Elizabeth City 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
Jan51° / 36°3.99.61.19.82.5
Feb53° / 37°3.49.70.810.63.0
Mar59° / 43°4.010.80.311.74.6
Apr68° / 52°3.49.7012.96.4
May75° / 60°4.011.2013.96.7
Jun83° / 69°4.412.7014.45.5
Jul86° / 73°5.116.5014.24.3
Aug84° / 72°5.214.3013.44.9
Sep80° / 67°5.011.4012.26.4
Oct71° / 56°3.77.6011.17.1
Nov62° / 46°3.78.40.110.15.5
Dec54° / 40°3.99.70.39.63.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% 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 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44852
54852
64951
74951
84951
94951
104951
115050
125050
135050
145050
155050
165050
175149
185149
195149
205149
215149
225149
235248
245248
255248
265248
275149
285149
295149
305149
315050

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Elizabeth City gets around 3.9 in of rain and snow over 9.6 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 31% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1312
2312
3313
4313
5313
6313
7313
8313
9313
10313
11313
12313
13313
14324
15324
16324
17324
18324
19324
20324
21324
22314
23314
24314
25314
26314
27304
28303
29303
30303
31303

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 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
193511
293511
393511
494510
593520
693520
794420
894420
994420
1094420
1194420
1294420
1395320
1496310
1596310
1696310
1796310
1896310
1996310
2097210
2198200
2298200
2398200
2498200
2598200
2698200
2798200
2898200
2998200
3097300
3197300

Wind in January

Winds average 9 mph in January.

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 9 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:21 AM to 7:14 AM, and sunset from 4:55 PM to 5:23 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.67:214:55
29.67:214:56
39.67:224:57
49.67:224:57
59.67:224:58
69.67:224:59
79.67:225:00
89.67:225:01
99.77:225:01
109.77:225:02
119.77:225:03
129.77:225:04
139.77:215:05
149.77:215:06
159.87:215:07
169.87:215:08
179.87:215:09
189.87:205:10
199.87:205:11
209.97:205:12
219.97:195:13
229.97:195:14
239.97:185:15
2410.07:185:16
2510.07:175:17
2610.07:175:18
2710.07:165:19
2810.17:165:20
2910.17:155:21
3010.17:155:22
3110.17:145:23

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.53 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.23 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.53 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.3Moderate
22.3Moderate
32.3Moderate
42.3Moderate
52.3Moderate
62.3Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.4Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.5Moderate
152.5Moderate
162.5Moderate
172.5Moderate
182.6Moderate
192.6Moderate
202.6Moderate
212.6Moderate
222.7Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.8Moderate
292.9Moderate
302.9Moderate
312.9Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Elizabeth City

In seasonPeak

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

Elizabeth City 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 Elizabeth City?

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

2.5
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Elizabeth City.

What to pack for Elizabeth City in January

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

In January, Elizabeth City sees daytime highs around 51°F and nights near 36°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Elizabeth City in January

The nearest coast averages about 49°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 24 mi away) is warmest in August at about 79°F and coldest in February near 46°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 28 to Oct 21 — about 4.8 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan49Bracing
Feb46Bracing
Mar49Bracing
Apr56Bracing
May65Cool
Jun73Refreshing
Jul78Warm
Aug79Warm
Sep76Warm
Oct69Refreshing
Nov61Cool
Dec54Bracing

UV index in Elizabeth City in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Elizabeth City peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 9Dec 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Elizabeth City 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 Elizabeth City is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 917 µg/m³Dec 126 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Moderate
May12Good
Jun17Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Elizabeth City?

Elizabeth City sits at 36.3°N, 76.3°W, 3 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is South Suffolk, 35 mi away.

Topography around Elizabeth City

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Elizabeth City has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 105 ft around an average of 16 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 226 ft.

The land around Elizabeth City is covered by trees (37%), cropland (26%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, cropland (50%) and trees (31%) within 10 miles, and trees (43%) and water (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
105 ft
10 miles
128 ft
50 miles
226 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: South Suffolk 35 mi · Suffolk 35 mi · Chesapeake 36 mi · Portsmouth Heights 37 mi · Portsmouth 37 mi · Norfolk 38 mi · Virginia Beach 42 mi · Newport News 48 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 Elizabeth City (36.2946°, -76.2511°, elevation 3 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).