Fort Walton Beach weather in January

In January, Fort Walton Beach sees average daytime highs of 60°F and overnight lows near 45°F, with 4.6 in of rain across 8.5 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 60°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 06 min at the start of January to 10 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Fort Walton Beach's 9th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Fort Walton Beach's year-round climate.

Daytime high
60°
12th warmest
Overnight low
45°
1st coldest
Rainfall
4.6 in
8.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
6:49 AM – 5:03 PM
Cloud cover
54%
9th clearest
Wind
8 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
3.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.0
out of 10

Fort Walton Beach is city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States.

Density
1,014/km²
people per km²
Founded
1941

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 60°F through the month.

A typical January day in Fort Walton Beach reaches about 60°F in the afternoon and slips back to 45°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 49°F and 69°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°F cooler than December and about 3°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16046
26046
36046
46046
56046
66046
76046
86046
96046
106045
116045
126045
136045
146045
156045
166045
176045
186045
196045
206045
216045
226045
236045
246045
256045
266045
276045
286046
296046
306046
316046

How January really feels in Fort Walton Beach

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 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
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Fort Walton Beach weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan60° / 45°4.68.510.35.0
Feb63° / 49°4.27.410.95.9
Mar68° / 54°4.88.611.86.7
Apr74° / 61°3.67.412.77.4
May81° / 69°2.78.613.56.7
Jun86° / 75°4.715.713.94.4
Jul87° / 77°5.520.613.83.5
Aug87° / 76°5.920.213.13.7
Sep84° / 73°4.612.212.25.3
Oct77° / 63°3.56.611.37.6
Nov68° / 53°3.2710.57.1
Dec62° / 48°4.38.810.15.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% 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 (%)
14753
24654
34654
44753
54852
64852
74951
84951
94951
105149
115149
125248
135248
145248
155347
165347
175347
185347
195347
205347
215347
225347
235347
245248
255149
265149
275050
284951
294951
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Fort Walton Beach gets around 4.6 in of rain over 8.5 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 27% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
227
327
426
526
626
726
826
926
1026
1126
1226
1326
1426
1527
1627
1727
1827
1927
2028
2128
2228
2329
2429
2529
2629
2729
2829
2929
3029
3129

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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
17411114
27411123
37411123
47312123
57312123
67312123
77512112
87512112
97512112
107612102
117612102
127712101
13781291
14781291
15781291
16791281
17791281
18801181
19811171
20811171
21811171
22811171
23811171
24811171
25811171
26801271
27801271
28801370
29801370
30801370
31791371

Wind in January

Winds average 8 mph in January, the windiest month of the year.

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 10 h 06 min at the start of January to 10 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 24 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:48 AM to 6:44 AM, and sunset from 4:52 PM to 5:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.16:484:52
210.16:484:52
310.16:484:53
410.16:484:54
510.16:484:54
610.16:494:55
710.16:494:56
810.16:494:57
910.16:494:57
1010.26:494:58
1110.26:494:59
1210.26:495:00
1310.26:495:00
1410.26:495:01
1510.26:495:02
1610.26:495:03
1710.36:495:04
1810.36:485:04
1910.36:485:05
2010.36:485:06
2110.36:485:07
2210.36:485:08
2310.46:475:09
2410.46:475:10
2510.46:475:10
2610.46:465:11
2710.46:465:12
2810.56:455:13
2910.56:455:14
3010.56:455:15
3110.56:445:16

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 3.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.77 kWh/m² to a high of 6.46 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 3.04 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.8Moderate
22.8Moderate
32.8Moderate
42.8Moderate
52.8Moderate
62.8Moderate
72.9Moderate
82.9Moderate
92.9Moderate
102.9Moderate
112.9Moderate
123.0Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.1Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.2Moderate
233.2Moderate
243.2Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.2Moderate
273.2Moderate
283.3Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Fort Walton Beach

In seasonPeak

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

Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach?

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

5.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.3
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Fort Walton Beach for sightseeing.

What to pack for Fort Walton Beach in January

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

In January, Fort Walton Beach sees daytime highs around 60°F and nights near 45°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Fort Walton Beach in January

The nearest coast averages about 65°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 85°F and coldest in February near 64°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 6 to Dec 18 — about 8.4 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°90°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan65Cool
Feb64Cool
Mar65Cool
Apr69Refreshing
May76Warm
Jun82Warm
Jul84Tropical
Aug85Tropical
Sep83Tropical
Oct79Warm
Nov72Refreshing
Dec68Refreshing

UV index in Fort Walton Beach in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Fort Walton Beach peaks around June 17 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateJun 17UV 10Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb6High
Mar7High
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.7× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1519 µg/m³Dec 147 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Fort Walton Beach?

Fort Walton Beach sits at 30.4°N, 86.6°W, 7 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Wright, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Fort Walton Beach

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Fort Walton Beach has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 62 ft around an average of 20 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 236 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 384 ft.

The land around Fort Walton Beach is covered by artificial surfaces (36%), trees (33%) and water (23%) within 2 miles, water (51%) and trees (30%) within 10 miles, and trees (53%) and water (35%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
62 ft
10 miles
236 ft
50 miles
384 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Wright 2.5 mi · Navarre 15 mi · Midway 23 mi · Santa Rosa Beach 23 mi · Crestview 24 mi · East Pensacola Heights 34 mi · Pace 35 mi · Pensacola 36 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 Fort Walton Beach (30.4206°, -86.6171°, elevation 7 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).