North Charleston weather in January

In January, North Charleston sees average daytime highs of 59°F and overnight lows near 43°F, with 3.2 in of precipitation across 8.4 wet days and about 10.1 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 59°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 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 North Charleston's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see North Charleston's year-round climate.

Daytime high
59°
12th warmest
Overnight low
43°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.2 in
8.4 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
7:28 AM – 5:31 PM
Cloud cover
54%
7th clearest
Wind
9 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.89 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.8
out of 10

North Charleston is city in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, South Carolina, United States.

Density
571/km²
people per km²
Founded
1972

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 59°F through the month.

A typical January day in North Charleston reaches about 59°F in the afternoon and slips back to 43°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 46°F and 70°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°F cooler than December and about 3°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16044
26044
36044
46044
56044
66044
76043
85943
95943
105943
115943
125943
135943
145943
155942
165942
175942
185942
195942
205942
215842
225842
235842
245842
255942
265942
275942
285942
295942
305943
315943

How January really feels in North Charleston

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.

North Charleston 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
Jan59° / 43°3.28.410.14.8
Feb62° / 45°3.37.810.85.4
Mar67° / 51°3.28.211.86.6
Apr73° / 58°2.97.512.87.4
May80° / 66°2.7913.76.8
Jun85° / 73°5.116.314.14.5
Jul88° / 76°5.417.813.93.7
Aug87° / 75°6.318.913.23.9
Sep83° / 71°5.113.312.25.5
Oct76° / 61°4.07.811.27.4
Nov67° / 51°2.66.810.36.9
Dec62° / 46°3.47.79.95.5

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 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44951
55050
65050
75050
85050
95149
105149
115248
125248
135248
145248
155248
165248
175248
185248
195248
205248
215248
225248
235248
245149
255149
265050
275050
285050
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

North Charleston gets around 3.2 in of rain and snow over 8.4 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 29% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
224
324
424
524
624
725
825
925
1026
1126
1226
1326
1427
1527
1627
1727
1827
1927
2027
2128
2228
2328
2428
2528
2628
2728
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 83% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
17811821
27911820
37911820
47911820
57812820
67812820
77912810
87912810
98012710
108012710
118012710
128211610
138211610
148311510
158311510
168311510
178511400
188610400
198610400
208710300
218710300
22889300
23889300
24889300
25889300
26889300
27889300
28889300
29889300
30889300
31889300

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 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 7:27 AM to 7:22 AM, and sunset from 5:19 PM to 5:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.97:275:19
29.97:275:20
39.97:275:20
49.97:285:21
59.97:285:22
69.97:285:23
79.97:285:23
89.97:285:24
99.97:285:25
1010.07:285:26
1110.07:285:27
1210.07:285:27
1310.07:285:28
1410.07:285:29
1510.07:285:30
1610.17:285:31
1710.17:275:32
1810.17:275:33
1910.17:275:33
2010.17:275:34
2110.17:265:35
2210.27:265:36
2310.27:265:37
2410.27:255:38
2510.27:255:39
2610.37:245:40
2710.37:245:41
2810.37:245:42
2910.37:235:43
3010.47:235:44
3110.47:225:44

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.89 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.62 kWh/m² to a high of 6.47 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.89 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.7Moderate
32.7Moderate
42.7Moderate
52.7Moderate
62.7Moderate
72.8Moderate
82.8Moderate
92.8Moderate
102.8Moderate
112.8Moderate
122.9Moderate
132.9Moderate
142.9Moderate
152.9Moderate
162.9Moderate
172.9Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.0Moderate
233.0Moderate
243.0Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.1Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for North Charleston

In seasonPeak

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

North Charleston 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 North Charleston?

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

4.8
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit North Charleston for sightseeing.

What to pack for North Charleston in January

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

In January, North Charleston sees daytime highs around 59°F and nights near 43°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near North Charleston in January

The nearest coast averages about 61°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 17 mi away) is warmest in August at about 83°F and coldest in February near 60°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 25 to Nov 19 — about 6.9 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan61Cool
Feb60Cool
Mar61Cool
Apr66Cool
May73Refreshing
Jun80Warm
Jul83Tropical
Aug83Tropical
Sep81Warm
Oct75Warm
Nov68Refreshing
Dec64Cool

UV index in North Charleston 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 North Charleston 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 — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar7High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in North Charleston 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 North Charleston is worst in March — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 1819 µg/m³Dec 177 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb12Good
Mar20Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is North Charleston?

North Charleston sits at 32.9°N, 80.0°W, 20 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Hanahan, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around North Charleston

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around North Charleston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 69 ft around an average of 16 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 161 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 230 ft.

The land around North Charleston is covered by trees (27%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 2 miles, trees (50%) within 10 miles, and trees (54%) and water (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
69 ft
10 miles
161 ft
50 miles
230 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Hanahan 5.0 mi · Charleston 6.2 mi · Mount Pleasant 7.5 mi · Goose Creek 9.3 mi · Summerville 16 mi · Hilton Head 63 mi · Hilton Head Island 64 mi · Bluffton 67 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 North Charleston (32.8546°, -79.9748°, elevation 20 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).