New York (NYC) weather in January

January in New York: cold, rainy, with reliable snow — a fair time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

New York🇺🇸 United States · Northeast & Atlantic Canada · City50
  1. 50Jan
  2. 59Feb
  3. 65Mar
  4. 77Apr
  5. 88May
  6. 86Jun
  7. 69Jul
  8. 73Aug
  9. 84Sep
  10. 80Oct
  11. 68Nov
  12. 54Dec

#12 of 12 months in New York · #1142 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 50/100 (tier D)

Days
5°C
Nights
-1°C
Wet days
9
Sun
6 h
Humidity
68%
Daylight
10 h
New York, United States
Photo: Vlad Alexandru Popa · Pexels

What January is like in New York

The coldest month, and the best chance of a snowstorm that shuts the city for a day and leaves the parks briefly silent.

snowlow season

confidence: high

Traveller notes on New York in January

New York's forum puts January in the 30s°F on average with a handful of days dipping into the teens, and wind funneling between skyscrapers making it feel colder than the thermometer says. Regulars note the city sees measurable precipitation on about 13 days this month — more often cold rain or sleet than accumulating snow — and that hotel rates and crowds both drop noticeably after the New Year rush.
Tripadvisor community · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in New York

New York-forum threads on September weather call it a genuinely pleasant stretch, warm without August's worst humidity, though posters are consistent the month is hard to pin down more than a few days out - a run of crisp, sunny days can flip to a muggy, sticky one with little warning. Hurricane season technically runs through the month, worth a glance at the forecast even though direct hits on the city are rare. The standing packing advice is layers plus a compact rain jacket with a hood, since a passing shower can arrive without much warning. Regulars call it one of the more reliable shoulder-season windows for walking tours and rooftop time alike. The record: 24.9C days feeling like 26C, 17.4C nights, 124mm across 7.3 days, a 22.2C sea, 75 percent humidity and 8.7 hours of sun.
CentralParkSeptemberRegular · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
New York-forum threads on May weather agree on one thing: it's a toss-up. Regulars describe afternoons landing anywhere from the mid-60s to the 80s Fahrenheit within the same week, with mornings still cool enough for a jacket, and the standing advice is to pack layers plus a compact rain shell rather than trust any single forecast. The month is rated genuinely pretty once the sun is out - parks green, before summer's humidity sets in. May's record: 21.7C days, 12.7C nights, 105mm of rain across ten days, 9.3 hours of sun and an AQI of 57.
MidtownLayers · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
New York forum regulars call April one of the year's most volatile months, if less extreme than March: “never really predictable,” with daytime highs in the 50s-60s°F and lows in the 40s typical, but “not uncommon for winter to make an appearance, especially early in the month.” The comparison offered for calibration: “March is generally colder, and April is generally wetter,” though neither very cold nor very hot, which regulars call a genuinely agreeable trade. Standard advice is a warmer jacket plus a sweater or hoodie to layer, and rain gear regardless of forecast. The payoff: trees budding, flowers blooming, spring in full swing by month's end. Our record: 15.7°C days, 6.4°C nights, 11.8 rain days and a 19.6kph wind — mild with real rain frequency, matching the unpredictable-but-agreeable read.
Tripadvisor community · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum verdict on July: "brutally hot and sticky" and "the luck of the draw" on how bad both get. The heat itself isn't what people complain about — it's heat plus the walking and stair-climbing the city demands. The detail that comes up again and again is subway platforms: the trains are air-conditioned, the platforms are not, and one poster was "sweltering and sticky in seconds" waiting for one. Regulars plan around it rather than through it — a shower and a change of clothes back at the hotel in the late afternoon, because "the humidity can really sap energy." Several suggest dodging the last two weeks of July and the first two of August specifically. One visitor used to Midwest summers wrote simply: "Never again." Our record has 29.5°C highs and 21°C nights in July, which is the part people underrate — it doesn't cool off.
Tripadvisor community · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Year-round notes are on New York's overview. Add your own note from New York's card on the map.

New York climate normals — January

Daytime high5°C / 41°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low-1°C / 30°F
Feels like (high)1°C / 34°F
Sea temperature6°C / 42°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall88 mm / 3.4 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days9 days
Humidity68%💧 humid
Dew point-4°C / 24°F
Sunshine6 h/day
Daylight9.6 h
Wind19 km/h / 12 mph
Snowfall12.9 cm / 5.1 in
Air quality (US AQI)52🙂 moderate

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in New York in January

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Quietthe editor's quiet month, Christmas season, Winter / Christmas break in United States

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for New York's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherNew York's best weather comes in May, June and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in New York in January

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Holiday

    Christmas season

    28 Nov – 1 JanChristmas & New YearCrowded

    The tree, the markets and Fifth Avenue at its most crowded, followed by a city that empties out completely for the last week of the year. Source ↗

  • Hazard

    Nor'easter season

    1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyWinter storms & galesClosures

    One or two coastal storms a winter dump enough snow to stop the airports and briefly silence the parks. The city keeps running; the flights in and out are what break. Source ↗

What's on around the world in January →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of New York — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is New York?

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New York in January — FAQ

Is January a good time to visit New York?
January in New York: cold, rainy, with reliable snow — a fair time to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for New York on SeasonMap's comfort score (50/100).
What is the weather like in New York in January?
In January, New York averages a daily high of 5.1°C and a low of -1.2°C, with about 87.6 mm of rain over roughly 8.9 rainy days.
What is the air quality in New York in January?
New York has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 52 in January.
Does it snow in New York in January?
New York sees roughly 12.9 cm of snowfall in January.

Within 300 km: Philadelphia's Mummers Parade on 1 Jan, and Newport's Christmas at the mansions on 20 Nov – 2 Jan.