Nags Head, Outer Banks 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: June – September
What is the weather like in Nags Head, Outer Banks in January?
In January, Nags Head, Outer Banks is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 5 °C. The sea averages 9.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 107 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 37 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Nags Head, Outer Banks.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 18 | 17 | 19 |
| Day | 12° | 10° | 11° |
| Night | 7° | 5° | 6° |
| Sea | 12° | 9° | 8° |
| Sun | 5 h | 5 h | 5 h |
| Rain days | 10 | 10 | 10 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 9 h 58 min07:12 – 17:10
- UV index
- 3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 37 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 58 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 1 day1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %30 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %56 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in January
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Nags Head, Outer Banks in January: quick answers
Is Nags Head, Outer Banks hot in January?
No. In January, Nags Head, Outer Banks is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C and nights drop to about 5 °C.
Can you swim in Nags Head, Outer Banks in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 9.2 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from June to October.
Does it rain much in Nags Head, Outer Banks in January?
Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 107 mm in total.
Nags Head, Outer Banks month by month
The whole year in Nags Head, Outer BanksAll 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