California weather in January

January splits California wide open: Palm Springs runs 71° afternoons while South Lake Tahoe tops out near 43°.

Based on 12 weather stations. Twelve stations from Death Valley to the Sierra — California holds most of the country’s climates inside one border, and no state needs its regions kept apart more than this one.

Southern California

Highs 64–69°, nights 41–50°, and 2.0–3.8 in of rain in a typical January.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Los Angeles	68° / 49°	4	Rain comes in storms, then the mountains show up.
Anaheim	69° / 46°	3	Bright between storms, and the parks are blissfully quiet.
San Diego	66° / 50°	4	Winter here means a jacket and a chance of rain.
Santa Barbara	64° / 41°	5	Storm days, then the clearest views of the islands.

Central Coast

Highs 61–62°, nights 40–43°, and 3.5–4.6 in of rain in a typical January.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Monterey	62° / 43°	5	Storm surf, empty beaches, and the trees full of butterflies.
Santa Cruz	61° / 40°	6	Big swell, hard rain, and the town all to itself.

Bay Area & Wine Country

Highs 57–58°, nights 38–47°, and 4.2–4.4 in of rain in a typical January.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
San Francisco	58° / 47°	8	The wet heart of winter — waterproof shoes beat an umbrella.
Napa	57° / 38°	6	Bare vines, wet roads, and tasting rooms you can hear yourself in.

The Deserts

Highs 67–71°, nights 43–48°, and 0.4–1.1 in of rain in a typical January.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Palm Springs	71° / 48°	2	Sun all day, and a coat the second it sets.
Death Valley	67° / 43°	1	Warm walking weather and nights cold enough for stars.

The Sierra

Highs 43–48°, nights 18–29°, and 2.8–7.0 in of rain in a typical January.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Yosemite Valley	48° / 29°	9	Snowbound and quiet — the falls run in ribbons of ice.
South Lake Tahoe	43° / 18°	9	Deep winter — check the pass before you leave home.

Each place above has its own page for the full story — what the month feels like, what to pack, and whether the timing is right.

Where to go in January, across the whole country ›