Key West weather in January

In January, Key West sees average daytime highs of 73°F and overnight lows near 69°F, with 1.5 in of rain across 5.7 wet days and about 10.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 73°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 30 min at the start of January to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Key West's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Key West's year-round climate.

Daytime high
73°
12th warmest
Overnight low
69°
1st coldest
Rainfall
1.5 in
5.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 36 min
7:17 AM – 5:55 PM
Cloud cover
44%
7th clearest
Wind
15 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.8
out of 10

Key West is county seat of Monroe County, Florida, United States.

Density
1,373/km²
people per km²
Founded
1828

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 73°F through the month.

A typical January day in Key West reaches about 73°F in the afternoon and slips back to 69°F overnight — a 4°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 68°F and 76°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°F cooler than December and on par with February.

60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17470
27470
37370
47370
57370
67370
77370
87369
97369
107369
117369
127369
137369
147369
157369
167369
177369
187269
197269
207269
217269
227269
237269
247269
257269
267269
277269
287269
297369
307369
317369

How January really feels in Key West

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.

Key West weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan73° / 69°1.55.710.67.8
Feb73° / 70°1.2411.18.1
Mar74° / 71°1.04.211.88.4
Apr77° / 74°1.54.512.68.3
May80° / 77°2.67.913.27.3
Jun83° / 80°4.112.713.55.7
Jul84° / 81°2.512.913.45.3
Aug84° / 81°4.116.112.94.8
Sep83° / 80°5.417.712.24.7
Oct81° / 78°4.612.711.46.2
Nov77° / 74°1.55.810.87.8
Dec75° / 71°1.35.110.58.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% 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 33%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17030
27030
36931
46931
56931
66931
76931
86931
96931
106832
116733
126733
136733
146733
156634
166634
176535
186535
196535
206436
216436
226436
236535
246535
256535
266535
276634
286634
296733
306733
316931

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Key West gets around 1.5 in of rain over 5.7 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 18% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
116
216
316
416
517
617
717
817
918
1018
1118
1218
1318
1417
1517
1617
1718
1818
1918
2018
2118
2218
2318
2418
2519
2619
2719
2819
2919
3019
3118

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the muggy band about 33% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 46% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11214203221
21314203221
31314203220
41314203220
51415203219
61415203318
71515203318
81516203317
91516203316
101617203315
111617213314
121617213213
131618223212
141718223211
151717233211
161717233210
171817233210
181817233210
191817233210
20191723329
21191723329
22191723329
23191723329
24181623339
25181623339
261816223410
271716223510
281716213510
291716213610
301617203710
311617203710

Wind in January

Winds average 15 mph in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 14 mph on the calmest days to 15 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
115breezy
215breezy
315breezy
415breezy
515breezy
615breezy
715breezy
815breezy
915breezy
1015breezy
1115breezy
1215breezy
1315breezy
1415breezy
1515breezy
1615breezy
1715breezy
1815breezy
1915breezy
2015breezy
2115breezy
2215breezy
2315breezy
2415breezy
2514breezy
2614breezy
2714breezy
2814breezy
2914breezy
3014breezy
3114breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 30 min at the start of January to 10 h 54 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 7:15 AM to 7:15 AM, and sunset from 5:45 PM to 6:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.57:155:45
210.57:165:46
310.57:165:47
410.57:165:47
510.57:165:48
610.57:165:48
710.57:175:49
810.57:175:50
910.67:175:50
1010.67:175:51
1110.67:175:52
1210.67:175:53
1310.67:175:53
1410.67:175:54
1510.67:175:55
1610.67:175:55
1710.67:175:56
1810.77:175:57
1910.77:175:58
2010.77:175:58
2110.77:175:59
2210.77:176:00
2310.77:176:00
2410.77:176:01
2510.87:166:02
2610.87:166:03
2710.87:166:03
2810.87:166:04
2910.87:156:05
3010.87:156:05
3110.97:156:06

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 3.9 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.66 kWh/m² to a high of 6.9 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 3.9 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.9Moderate
194.0Moderate
204.0Moderate
214.0Bright
224.0Bright
234.0Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.2Bright
284.2Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Key West

In seasonPeak

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

Key West sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Key West's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Key West?

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

7.8
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Key West for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Key West in January

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

In January, Key West sees daytime highs around 73°F and nights near 69°F. Worth packing: light clothes and a windbreaker. About 6 days see rain.

light clothesa windbreaker

Sea temperature near Key West in January

The nearest coast averages about 73°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 86°F and coldest in February near 73°F.

The water stays above 68°F all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

70°75°80°85°90°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan73Refreshing
Feb73Refreshing
Mar74Refreshing
Apr77Warm
May80Warm
Jun83Tropical
Jul85Tropical
Aug86Tropical
Sep85Tropical
Oct83Tropical
Nov78Warm
Dec75Warm

UV index in Key West in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Key West peaks around July 18 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 5 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighJul 18UV 12Dec 18UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar10Very high
Apr11Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct9Very high
Nov6High
Dec5High

Air quality in Key West 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 Key West is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (December, 4 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1818 µg/m³Dec 144 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb5Good
Mar6Good
Apr8Good
May9Good
Jun15Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct7Good
Nov5Good
Dec4Good
Location & terrain

Where is Key West?

Key West sits at 24.6°N, 81.8°W, 3 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Marco Island, 96 mi away.

Topography around Key West

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Key West has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 39 ft around an average of 3 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 75 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 52 ft.

The land around Key West is covered by water (64%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, water (95%) within 10 miles, and water (98%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
39 ft
10 miles
75 ft
50 miles
52 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
January weather nearby: Marco Island 96 mi · Santa Cruz del Norte 98 mi · Alamar 101 mi · Cojímar 101 mi · Ciudad Camilo Cienfuegos 103 mi · Varadero 103 mi · Homestead 103 mi · Guanabacoa 104 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 Key West (24.5552°, -81.7816°, 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).