Washington, D.C. 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: April – June, September – October
What is the weather like in Washington, D.C. in January?
In January, Washington, D.C. is cold: daytime highs average 6 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−2 °C). The sea averages 3.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 80 mm. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Washington, D.C..
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 27 | 25 | 28 |
| Day | 8° | 6° | 8° |
| Night | 0° | −2° | −1° |
| Sea | 7° | 3° | 3° |
| Sun | 5 h | 5 h | 5 h |
| Rain days | 9 | 9 | 9 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 9 h 43 min07:25 – 17:08
- UV index
- 2 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 17 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 56 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 2 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %28 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %66 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in January
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Washington, D.C. in January: quick answers
Is Washington, D.C. hot in January?
No. In January, Washington, D.C. is cold: daytime highs average 6 °C and nights drop to about −2 °C.
Can you swim in Washington, D.C. in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 3.4 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from June to September.
Does it rain much in Washington, D.C. in January?
Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 80 mm.
Washington, D.C. month by month
The whole year in Washington, D.C.All 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