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Typical January weather

San Francisco

California · January

The wet heart of winter — waterproof shoes beat an umbrella.

58° days
47° nights

about 8 rainy days · 10 hours of daylight · ocean 54°

What to pack

What January feels like

January delivers the storms in runs, and the wind off the Embarcadero destroys umbrellas faster than the rain soaks you. Between systems come the crisp, wildly clear days that put Mount Diablo on the horizon from Twin Peaks.

Rain arrives about 8 days of the month, so keep one flexible day in your plans.

Can you swim?

The ocean runs about 54° — frigid — locals in wetsuits only.

The numbers

Typical high58°
Typical low47°
Days with real rain8
Total rain4.4 in
Water temperature54°
Sunrise / sunset (mid-month)7:23 am / 5:14 pm

How January compares

See the whole year in San Francisco ›