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New York in January: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Discover the weather for New York in January and if it’s a good time to travel (based on historical data).
Check flight prices to New York on Avionero:
January

Weather in New York in January 2025

OK Weather
Cool
☁️
Cloudy
New York in January usually sees fair weather conditions, with an average daily high temperature of +4°C and roughly 8 sunny days. However, you should prepare for about 4 rainy days with an average precipitation of 58 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
  • January is usually the coldest month of the year in New York;

Average weather

☀️
+4°C
Avg. max. temperature
-23°C
Min.
+21°C
Max.
58 mm
Total precipitation
62%
Avg. humidity
4 m/s
Avg. wind
8 ☀️
Sunny Days
16 ⛅️
Cloudy
4 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: New York has OK weather in January.

Average temperature in New York in January

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in New York for January based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

Going from a maximum of +15°C during the day to a minimum of -11°C during the night, the temperature in January averages around +4°C.

The average maximum temperature goes down 50% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +13°C to 0°C.

Is New York warm or cold in January?

New York is typically cool in January.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +7°C to +4°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from +1°C to -2°C.

Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.

January is the coldest month in New York, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in New York in January

New York weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Avg. temperature
+7°C+4°C+6°C
Min. temperature
-17°C-23°C-21°C
Max. temperature
+22°C+21°C+25°C
Rainfall
80 mm58 mm49 mm
Wind
4 m/s4 m/s4 m/s
Humidity
63%62%60%
Air pressure
1017 HPa1017 HPa1016 HPa
Sunny days
888
Cloudy days
151613
Rainy days
644
Snowy days
233

January weather is still as ok as in December. It’s getting colder in January. From +7°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +4°C. As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 80 mm to 58 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 63% to 62%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 4 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 8 sunny days during the month.

February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in New York in January based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 6 m/s getting up to 11 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in New York is gradually increasing during January, going from 3 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during January in New York based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 26% chance of rain on an average day in January, with total rainfall of approximately 86 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 41 mm, which is moderate rain. On average, there are about 8 rainy days during January, so prepare to bring an umbrella.
Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
New York wettest month is August, where a typical day has a 26% chance of precipitation and 111 mm of rainfall per day. February, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 14% chance of precipitation and 49 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during January in New York based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 6% chance of snow on an average day in January, with a total monthly snowfall of approximately 37 mm.

January is one of the snowiest months in New York.

Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:

How was the weather last January in New York?

This is the weather in New York in January 2023:
1 January
🌧️
+13°C
2 January
🌧️
+15°C
3 January
☁️
+8°C
4 January
☀️
+2°C
5 January
☀️
+8°C
6 January
☀️
+7°C
7 January
🌨️
+2°C
8 January
☀️
0°C
9 January
☀️
+4°C
10 January
☀️
+4°C
11 January
☀️
-3°C
12 January
☀️
+5°C
13 January
☀️
+8°C
14 January
☀️
+7°C
15 January
☀️
+1°C
16 January
☀️
-1°C
17 January
🌧️
+7°C
18 January
☁️
+3°C
19 January
☀️
+10°C
20 January
☀️
+8°C
21 January
☀️
-1°C
22 January
☀️
0°C
23 January
☀️
+3°C
24 January
☁️
+1°C
25 January
☁️
+6°C
26 January
☀️
+2°C
27 January
☀️
+1°C
28 January
☁️
+1°C
29 January
🌨️
0°C
30 January
☀️
-3°C
31 January
☀️
0°C
In January 2023 New York had 21 sunny days, 5 cloudy days, and 3 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +4°C, with an absolute maximum of +15°C and a minimum of -3°C. The average humidity was 62%, with a maximum of 96% and a minimum of 33%. The average wind speed was 6 m/s, with a maximum of 14 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?

Climate Change over Years

This is how New York climate have been changing during last 43 years period.

The climate in New York in January has not changed much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 2004 (0°C) and the highest in 2023 (+10°C). The driest year was 1985 with only 18 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 1981 with 0 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in New York in January:

Is January a good time to visit New York?

It’s always a good time to visit New York, but the weather is changeable in January, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in New York in January?

Not really, January is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.

Is New York rainy in January?

New York is often rainy in January. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in New York in January?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in New York in January, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in USA

Check out the weather for other cities in USA.

Monthly weather in New York

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in New York, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.