I am thinking of visiting NYC in January next year. Can anyone tell me how cold it is likely to be at that time of year and when it gets dark? I usually go there either in March or November and have never so far been subject to any extremes of cold. I am looking forward to going back to what is an incredible city!

Temperatures average in the low 30's...however, it can also range from the teens to the twenties and it may also be windy...it's difficult to predict...you may also encounter snow...it's dark by 5:00PM.

The Normal Daily Low temperature in January is around 25 deg F, but throw in a 10 mph wind and with the Wind CHill it feels about 10 deg. Darkness comes pretty early in the beginning of January, around 4:45 - 5.

The weather in January in NYC is such that most people if they are at all able to-LEAVE!

January is the coldest month in NYC. It will be in the 30s during the day, 20s or less at night. When it's windy, you don't even want to go outside. Everyone becomes hermit-like during this month, going straight home after work. Or else they leave for vacation to the Caribbean or Florida. In January it gets dark out here around 4:30 PM.

March and November (months where you've been here) are significantly warmer--often warm enough to eat in an outdoor cafe.

LordLoopy-- You must really like NYC, given your desire to visit in January. The posts you have received are quite accurate-- the weather is not especially pleasant. However, you will be treated to a truly "New York" experience-- there are relatively few tourists about, so there will be no lines to speak of at attractions, and the people at the next table over at the restaurant are more likely to be locals. That restaurant will be easier to get into, as will Broadway theatres and such... As a New Yorker, I'm glad you're coming... it's great to hear about people who want to visit...

before i moved to new york, i visited a few times. one of those times was in january. there had been a blizzard recently, so snow was still on the ground. being from california, i thought this was very exotic and romantic (i said i was from CA). however, it didn't take long for my shoes to get soaked, the wind to whip my hair into a nest and the cold to chill me to the bone. However, on the plus side...it's not crowded with other tourists. And, if you love NY, seeing it during winter is always better than not seeing it all. And I must have not minded the cold too much, because I moved to NYC six months later and I haven't looked back since (2 years ago). If it's the best time for you to come, you will love it as you always do.

It will be cold as has been pointed out in the other replies and it will be dark by 5pm. There is an upside - there won't be too many visitors in the city.

Find all the restos that you can with fireplaces,and a hotel that is really cozy!
See ya in January~

Thank you all very much for your responses so far. I feel a trip in January to NYC would be the perfect pick me up after the Xmas\New Year celebrations. When I was there in March we did have a couple of freezing cold days, which followed four or five days of very balmy weather. Of course, because I am in New York I tend to ignore the bad weather and carry on regardless. However, arctic conditions every day might manage to drive even me off the streets

I topped my trip report from LAST January. I would do it again...