Providence weather in January

In January, Providence sees average daytime highs of 37°F and overnight lows near 23°F, with 3.6 in of precipitation across 10 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 37°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 hours at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Providence's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Providence's year-round climate.

Daytime high
37°
12th warmest
Overnight low
23°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.6 in
10 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:17 AM – 4:33 PM
Cloud cover
57%
4th clearest
Wind
8 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.03 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Providence is capital city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and seat of Providence County.

Density
3,584/km²
people per km²
Founded
1636

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 37°F through the month.

A typical January day in Providence reaches about 37°F in the afternoon and slips back to 23°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°F and 50°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 5°F cooler than December and about 2°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13926
23926
33825
43825
53825
63825
73825
83824
93724
103724
113724
123724
133724
143723
153723
163623
173623
183622
193622
203622
213622
223622
233622
243622
253622
263622
273622
283622
293622
303722
313722

How January really feels in Providence

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
17 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

The story in January is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Providence 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
Jan37° / 23°3.6105.29.30.0
Feb39° / 24°3.18.64.810.30.0
Mar46° / 31°4.410.74.311.71.2
Apr57° / 41°3.810.80.713.13.9
May67° / 50°3.110.8014.35.9
Jun76° / 60°3.510.10156.7
Jul82° / 66°3.210.6014.76.3
Aug80° / 64°3.810.3013.76.5
Sep73° / 57°3.68.3012.37.0
Oct62° / 47°4.19.30.210.95.4
Nov51° / 37°3.58.80.89.62.7
Dec42° / 29°4.310.4490.3

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% 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 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
44951
54951
64852
74852
84852
94852
104852
114852
124852
134753
144852
154852
164852
174852
184951
194951
204951
215050
225050
235050
245050
255050
265050
275050
285050
295050
305050
315050

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Providence gets around 3.6 in of rain and snow over 10 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 32% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13415
23416
33416
43516
53517
63517
73517
83518
93518
103518
113518
123518
133518
143418
153418
163418
173318
183317
193217
203117
213117
223016
233016
243016
252916
262916
272916
282916
292915
302916
312916

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 8 mph in January.

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 9 hours at the start of January to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:19 AM to 7:07 AM, and sunset from 4:19 PM to 4:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.07:194:19
29.07:194:20
39.07:194:21
49.07:194:22
59.17:194:22
69.17:194:23
79.17:194:24
89.17:194:25
99.17:194:26
109.17:184:27
119.27:184:28
129.27:184:29
139.27:184:30
149.27:174:31
159.37:174:32
169.37:174:33
179.37:164:34
189.37:164:35
199.47:154:37
209.47:154:38
219.47:144:39
229.47:144:40
239.57:134:41
249.57:124:42
259.57:124:44
269.67:114:45
279.67:104:46
289.67:104:47
299.77:094:48
309.77:084:50
319.77:074:51

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.03 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.66 kWh/m² to a high of 5.93 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.03 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.7Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.9Dim
131.9Dim
141.9Dim
152.0Dim
162.0Moderate
172.0Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Providence

In seasonPeak

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

Providence 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 Providence?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Providence.

What to pack for Providence in January

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

In January, Providence sees daytime highs around 37°F and nights near 23°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Providence in January

The nearest coast averages about 41°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 31 mi away) is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in February near 37°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 16 to Sep 8 — about 1.8 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan41Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May53Bracing
Jun61Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug70Refreshing
Sep67Cool
Oct62Cool
Nov54Bracing
Dec47Bracing

UV index in Providence in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Providence peaks around July 10 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 10UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Providence 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 Providence is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Nov 189 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Providence?

Providence sits at 41.8°N, 71.4°W, 7 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is East Providence, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Providence

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Providence has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 217 ft around an average of 69 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 584 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,585 ft.

The land around Providence is covered by artificial surfaces (67%) within 2 miles, trees (60%) within 10 miles, and trees (64%) and water (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
217 ft
10 miles
584 ft
50 miles
1,585 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: East Providence 2.5 mi · North Providence 3.1 mi · Cranston 3.1 mi · Pawtucket 4.3 mi · Central Falls 5.0 mi · Johnston 5.0 mi · Lincoln 6.8 mi · Barrington 8.1 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 Providence (41.824°, -71.4128°, 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).