Charleston weather in January
Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Poor
Best time to visit: May – October
What is the weather like in Charleston in January?
In January, Charleston is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 15.3 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 68 mm. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Charleston.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 22 | 22 | 23 |
| Day | 16° | 14° | 16° |
| Night | 9° | 7° | 9° |
| Sea | 17° | 15° | 15° |
| Sun | 5 h | 5 h | 6 h |
| Rain days | 8 | 8 | 8 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 10 h 13 min07:22 – 17:35
- UV index
- 3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 21 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 52 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %38 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %72 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in January
- Sunscreen
- A jumper for the evenings
Charleston in January: quick answers
Is Charleston hot in January?
No. In January, Charleston is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C and nights drop to about 7 °C.
Can you swim in Charleston in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 15.3 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from May to October.
Does it rain much in Charleston in January?
Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 68 mm.
Charleston month by month
The whole year in CharlestonAll destinations: USAWhere to go in JanuarySea temperature in January
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences