January in an unpredictable month in Charleston, both from one week to the next and from year to year. Winters in South Carolina are usually mild, with neglible risk of snow and ice, but you could get several warm, sunny days or mostly cool, cloudy weather and rain. Most likely, unless you are visiting for only a day or two, you will experience both.
If your preferred activities while on vacation include a lot of indoor attractions such as museums and historic houses, or enjoying the local restaurant scene, January can be a good time to visit Charleston.
The average daily maximum temperature in January is around 60 degrees, but that average conceals a wide range of day-to-day temperatures, from days that barely get above freezing to highs well into the 70s. On warmer days, the weather can be ideal for outdoor activities too, such as a visit to a local plantation or nature site.
Pack layers to be prepared for a range of weather, consult the weather forecast immediately before traveling, and as always for visits to Charleston, it is advisable to bring an umbrella.
See also:
– January festivals and events
– Visiting Charleston in the winter
– When is the best time of year to visit Charleston?
– Things to do during your visit to Charleston
– Charleston’s weather by month: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November or December
The daily maximum temperature in Charleston in January averages 59°F (15°C), with the lowest daily highs being around 32-40°F (0-4°C), up to around 77°F (25°C) or so on the warmest days.
The proportion of warmer and cooler days in January varies a lot from year to year. Sometimes the daily high only gets past 70°F (20°C) on a day or two during the month, sometimes it can exceed that on more than one in three days.
In cooler Januaries, the daily high can often stay below 50°F (10°C), with cool weather on around a third of days. In warmer Januaries, in contrast, the weather may very seldom be that low, with the entire month being mostly mild or warm.
In the morning, temperatures are between around 30°F (-1°C) on the coldest days and around 60°F (16°C) on the warmest days, with evening temperatures close to or a few degrees cooler than that morning. January lows are typically in the range of 15-30°F (-9 to -1°C).
The weather only occasionally feels humid in January.
Surface water temperature in January at the beaches near Charleston is around 61-65°F (15-19°C), which most people will find too cold for swimming.
The average January in Charleston has a little under 6 hours of sunshine each day. Rainfall for the month totals an average of 3.7 inches, with rain occurring on an average of 9-10 days.
January weather in Charleston is variable, with a day or two of sun alternating with days of cloudy or overcast weather. On average, you can expect a third to a half of days to be mostly sunny, up to a third of days to be primarily overcast and maybe rainy, and the balance to offer mixed weather, usually somewhat cloudy with sunny spells.
The average UV index in Charleston in January is 3.
Wind speeds in Charleston in January average around 10-11mph, with 3-5 days each month with no more than a light breeze, and 6-7 days on average where wind speeds may reach around 15mph or higher.
In January, the sun rises at around 7:20am at the beginning of the month and at 7:15am at the end of the month. It begins to get light in the morning at 6:55am at the start of the month, and by 6:50am at the end.
The sun sets at around 5:25pm at the start of the month, and at around 5:50pm by its end. It should be dark by around 5:50pm at the beginning of the month, and by 6:15pm at its end.
The amount of full daylight in January averages around 10 hours 15 minutes per day, plus an additional 25-30 minutes of low light at the beginning and end of the day.