Shirley weather in January

In January, Shirley sees average daytime highs of 40°F and overnight lows near 31°F, with 3.7 in of precipitation across 9.8 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 42°F in the first days to 39°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of January to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Shirley's 10th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shirley's year-round climate.

Daytime high
40°
11th warmest
Overnight low
31°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
3.7 in
9.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:19 AM – 4:42 PM
Cloud cover
61%
10th clearest
Wind
14 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Shirley is census-designated place in New York, USA.

Density
934/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

Highs ease over the month, from about 42°F in the first days to 39°F by the end.

A typical January day in Shirley reaches about 40°F in the afternoon and slips back to 31°F overnight — a 9°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°F and 50°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 6°F cooler than December and on par with February.

20°30°40°50°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14234
24234
34233
44233
54233
64133
74133
84132
94132
104132
114032
124031
134031
144031
154031
163931
173930
183930
193930
203930
213930
223930
233930
243830
253830
263830
273830
283830
293830
303930
313930

How January really feels in Shirley

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Shirley weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan40° / 31°3.79.83.99.40.0
Feb40° / 31°3.49.13.510.40.0
Mar44° / 36°4.410.22.811.70.8
Apr52° / 45°3.610.30.413.12.7
May60° / 53°3.310.2014.24.8
Jun70° / 64°3.38.8014.96.7
Jul76° / 71°3.08.6014.67.2
Aug76° / 70°3.79.3013.67.2
Sep71° / 65°3.78.8012.36.9
Oct62° / 55°4.39010.95.5
Nov53° / 46°3.68.70.39.73.2
Dec45° / 37°4.610.62.29.11.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34753
44852
54852
64852
74753
84753
94753
104753
114753
124753
134753
144753
154654
164654
174555
184555
194555
204654
214654
224555
234654
244654
254753
264753
274654
284654
294753
304753
314753

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Shirley gets around 3.7 in of rain and snow over 9.8 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 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13311
23311
33311
43312
53312
63412
73412
83413
93413
103413
113513
123513
133413
143413
153413
163413
173313
183313
193213
203213
213113
223113
233013
243013
252913
262913
272913
282913
292913
302913
312913

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 14 mph in January, the windiest month of the year.

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

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
114breezy
214breezy
314breezy
414breezy
514breezy
614breezy
714breezy
814breezy
914breezy
1014breezy
1114breezy
1214breezy
1314breezy
1414breezy
1514breezy
1614breezy
1714breezy
1814breezy
1914breezy
2014breezy
2114breezy
2214breezy
2314breezy
2414breezy
2514breezy
2614breezy
2714breezy
2814breezy
2914breezy
3014breezy
3114breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of January to 9 h 48 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 7:21 AM to 7:10 AM, and sunset from 4:28 PM to 4:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:214:28
29.17:214:29
39.17:214:30
49.27:214:31
59.27:214:31
69.27:214:32
79.27:214:33
89.27:214:34
99.27:214:35
109.37:214:36
119.37:214:37
129.37:214:38
139.37:204:39
149.37:204:40
159.47:204:41
169.47:194:42
179.47:194:43
189.47:194:44
199.57:184:45
209.57:184:46
219.57:174:48
229.57:174:49
239.67:164:50
249.67:154:51
259.67:154:52
269.77:144:53
279.77:134:54
289.77:134:56
299.77:124:57
309.87:114:58
319.87:104:59

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.74 kWh/m² to a high of 6.55 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.09 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.9Dim
61.9Dim
71.9Dim
81.9Dim
91.9Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
122.0Dim
132.0Dim
142.0Moderate
152.0Moderate
162.1Moderate
172.1Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Shirley

In seasonPeak

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

Shirley 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 Shirley?

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 Shirley.

What to pack for Shirley in January

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

In January, Shirley sees daytime highs around 40°F and nights near 31°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Shirley in January

The nearest coast averages about 44°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 12 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 40°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 4 to Sep 22 — about 2.7 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan44Bracing
Feb40Bracing
Mar41Bracing
Apr45Bracing
May53Bracing
Jun64Cool
Jul71Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct63Cool
Nov56Bracing
Dec49Bracing

UV index in Shirley in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shirley peaks around July 11 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Shirley 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 Shirley is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1016 µg/m³Nov 178 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shirley?

Shirley sits at 40.8°N, 72.9°W, 52 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mastic, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Shirley

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Shirley has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 118 ft around an average of 49 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 335 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,010 ft.

The land around Shirley is covered by trees (67%) within 2 miles, trees (47%) and water (34%) within 10 miles, and water (58%) and trees (32%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
118 ft
10 miles
335 ft
50 miles
1,010 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Mastic 1.2 mi · Medford 6.8 mi · East Patchogue 6.8 mi · Coram 8.7 mi · Farmingville 8.7 mi · Holtsville 9.3 mi · Selden 9.9 mi · Holbrook 11 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 Shirley (40.8015°, -72.8676°, elevation 52 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).