Hilton Head Island weather in January

In January, Hilton Head Island sees average daytime highs of 58°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 3.3 in of precipitation across 8.5 wet days and about 10.1 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 58°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 9 h 54 min at the start of January to 10 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Hilton Head Island's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hilton Head Island's year-round climate.

Daytime high
58°
12th warmest
Overnight low
46°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.3 in
8.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
7:29 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
54%
7th clearest
Wind
10 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.7
out of 10

Hilton Head Island is resort town in South Carolina, USA.

Density
378/km²
people per km²

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 58°F through the month.

A typical January day in Hilton Head Island reaches about 58°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 47°F and 68°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°F cooler than December and about 2°F cooler than February.

30°40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15947
25947
35946
45946
55946
65946
75946
85946
95946
105946
115946
125946
135846
145845
155845
165845
175845
185845
195845
205845
215845
225845
235845
245845
255845
265845
275845
285845
295845
305845
315845

How January really feels in Hilton Head Island

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.

Hilton Head Island 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
Jan58° / 46°3.38.510.14.7
Feb61° / 48°3.28.410.85.1
Mar66° / 53°3.17.911.86.5
Apr72° / 60°2.76.812.87.3
May79° / 68°2.48.513.67.1
Jun84° / 74°4.615.314.15.0
Jul87° / 77°4.816.613.94.1
Aug85° / 77°6.118.913.24.1
Sep82° / 73°4.613.212.25.7
Oct75° / 64°3.87.611.27.4
Nov67° / 54°2.46.310.46.9
Dec61° / 48°3.38.69.95.3

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 14% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
44951
54951
65050
75050
85149
95149
105248
115347
125446
135446
145446
155446
165446
175446
185446
195446
205446
215248
225248
235149
245149
255050
265050
275050
284951
294951
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Hilton Head Island gets around 3.3 in of rain and snow 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 precipitation averages around 27% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
226
326
426
526
625
725
825
925
1025
1126
1226
1326
1426
1527
1627
1727
1827
1927
2028
2128
2228
2328
2429
2529
2629
2729
2830
2930
3030
3130

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 82% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1761392
2761392
3761392
4761392
5771391
6771391
7771391
8771391
9781381
10781381
11791371
12801271
13811261
14811261
15831250
16831250
17831250
18841240
19851140
20861130
21861130
22861130
23861130
24871030
25881020
26881020
27881020
28871030
29871030
30871030
31871030

Wind in January

Winds average 10 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 54 min at the start of January to 10 h 24 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 7:28 AM to 7:24 AM, and sunset from 5:24 PM to 5:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.97:285:24
29.97:295:24
39.97:295:25
49.97:295:26
510.07:295:27
610.07:295:27
710.07:295:28
810.07:295:29
910.07:305:30
1010.07:305:30
1110.07:305:31
1210.07:295:32
1310.17:295:33
1410.17:295:34
1510.17:295:35
1610.17:295:35
1710.17:295:36
1810.17:295:37
1910.27:295:38
2010.27:285:39
2110.27:285:40
2210.27:285:41
2310.27:275:42
2410.37:275:42
2510.37:275:43
2610.37:265:44
2710.37:265:45
2810.37:255:46
2910.47:255:47
3010.47:245:48
3110.47:245:49

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.64 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.93 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.7Moderate
22.7Moderate
32.7Moderate
42.7Moderate
52.7Moderate
62.8Moderate
72.8Moderate
82.8Moderate
92.8Moderate
102.8Moderate
112.9Moderate
122.9Moderate
132.9Moderate
142.9Moderate
152.9Moderate
163.0Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Hilton Head Island

In seasonPeak

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

Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island?

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

4.7
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Hilton Head Island for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hilton Head Island in January

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

In January, Hilton Head Island sees daytime highs around 58°F and nights near 46°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Hilton Head Island in January

The nearest coast averages about 60°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 8 mi away) is warmest in August at about 84°F and coldest in February near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 23 to Nov 17 — about 6.9 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°90°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan60Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar61Cool
Apr66Cool
May74Refreshing
Jun80Warm
Jul83Tropical
Aug84Tropical
Sep82Warm
Oct76Warm
Nov68Refreshing
Dec63Cool

UV index in Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island peaks around July 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar7High
Apr7High
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island is worst in March — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.4× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 1723 µg/m³Dec 158 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar25Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Hilton Head Island?

Hilton Head Island sits at 32.2°N, 80.7°W, 10 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Hilton Head, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Hilton Head Island

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Hilton Head Island has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 ft around an average of 30 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 125 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 233 ft.

The land around Hilton Head Island is covered by trees (57%) within 2 miles, water (61%) and trees (21%) within 10 miles, and trees (48%) and water (36%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
112 ft
10 miles
125 ft
50 miles
233 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: Hilton Head 1.9 mi · Bluffton 7.5 mi · Wilmington Island 19 mi · Savannah 22 mi · Pooler 30 mi · Hinesville 56 mi · Charleston 62 mi · Statesboro 63 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 Hilton Head Island (32.1938°, -80.7382°, elevation 10 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).