Westerly weather in January

In January, Westerly sees average daytime highs of 37°F and overnight lows near 25°F, with 3.7 in of precipitation across 10 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 8th-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 37% 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 Westerly's 5th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Westerly's year-round climate.

Daytime high
37°
12th warmest
Overnight low
25°
1st coldest
Precipitation
3.7 in
10 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:17 AM – 4:36 PM
Cloud cover
57%
5th clearest
Wind
9 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Westerly is town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States.

Founded
1661

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 Westerly reaches about 37°F in the afternoon and slips back to 25°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°F and 49°F. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 5°F cooler than December and about 1°F cooler than February.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13928
23928
33927
43927
53927
63827
73827
83826
93826
103826
113826
123726
133726
143725
153725
163725
173725
183724
193724
203624
213624
223624
233624
243624
253624
263624
273724
283724
293724
303724
313724

How January really feels in Westerly

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.

Westerly weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan37° / 25°3.71059.40.0
Feb39° / 26°3.28.94.510.30.0
Mar45° / 33°4.310.63.811.71.0
Apr55° / 42°3.810.60.713.13.4
May64° / 51°3.310.8014.35.6
Jun73° / 60°3.610.1014.96.6
Jul80° / 67°3.110.3014.76.5
Aug78° / 66°3.99.8013.76.8
Sep72° / 59°3.88.8012.36.9
Oct62° / 49°4.29.20.110.95.4
Nov51° / 39°3.790.59.72.7
Dec43° / 31°4.510.43.29.10.5

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 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44852
54852
64852
74852
84852
94852
104852
114951
124951
134852
144951
154852
164852
174951
184951
194951
204951
214951
224951
234951
244852
254852
264852
274951
285050
295050
305050
314951

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Westerly gets around 3.7 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 (%)
13414
23414
33415
43415
53416
63416
73517
83517
93517
103517
113418
123418
133418
143418
153417
163317
173317
183317
193216
203216
213116
223116
233015
243015
253015
263014
272914
282914
293014
303014
313014

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

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 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 7:19 AM to 7:08 AM, and sunset from 4:22 PM to 4:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:194:22
29.17:194:23
39.17:194:24
49.17:194:25
59.17:194:25
69.17:194:26
79.17:194:27
89.27:194:28
99.27:194:29
109.27:194:30
119.27:184:31
129.27:184:32
139.37:184:33
149.37:184:34
159.37:174:35
169.37:174:36
179.37:174:37
189.47:164:38
199.47:164:40
209.47:154:41
219.57:154:42
229.57:144:43
239.57:134:44
249.57:134:45
259.67:124:46
269.67:124:48
279.67:114:49
289.77:104:50
299.77:094:51
309.77:084:52
319.87:084:54

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.68 kWh/m² to a high of 6.16 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 2.05 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.9Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.9Dim
131.9Dim
142.0Dim
152.0Dim
162.0Moderate
172.0Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
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 Westerly

In seasonPeak

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

Westerly 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 Westerly?

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 Westerly.

What to pack for Westerly in January

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

In January, Westerly sees daytime highs around 37°F and nights near 25°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 Westerly in January

The nearest coast averages about 43°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 11 mi away) is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in February near 39°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 29 to Aug 30 — about 1.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan43Bracing
Feb39Bracing
Mar40Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May51Bracing
Jun60Cool
Jul67Cool
Aug69Refreshing
Sep67Cool
Oct62Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec48Bracing

UV index in Westerly 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 Westerly 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 December 22 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 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Westerly 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 Westerly is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1515 µg/m³Nov 206 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr12Good
May14Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Westerly?

Westerly sits at 41.4°N, 71.8°W, 36 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ledyard, 11 mi away.

Topography around Westerly

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Westerly has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 282 ft around an average of 89 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 574 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,325 ft.

The land around Westerly is covered by trees (65%) within 2 miles, trees (56%) and water (33%) within 10 miles, and trees (48%) and water (45%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
282 ft
10 miles
574 ft
50 miles
1,325 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Ledyard 11 mi · New London 14 mi · Waterford 16 mi · Norwich 16 mi · South Kingstown 16 mi · Montville Center 18 mi · Narragansett 21 mi · Plainfield 21 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 Westerly (41.3776°, -71.8273°, elevation 36 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).