Los Angeles Weather in January: What to Expect

Los Angeles weather in January is mild, cool in the morning and pleasant by afternoon. Rain is possible, and it is the main thing to plan around. This guide uses the National Weather Service averages for downtown Los Angeles from 1991 to 2020, so every number below is an average and not a forecast.

How warm is the Los Angeles weather in January?

January in downtown Los Angeles is mild, with an average high of 68.0°F (20°C) and an average low of 48.9°F (9°C), and no official page we opened lists a record low. These are the figures from the National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard office. The monthly mean is 58.4°F. That is a day you can spend outside in a light jacket and a night that needs a warmer layer.

How cold does it get? The average January night is 48.9°F (9°C), and the official figures we opened give no coldest night, so we give none. Pack for a night near 49°F and bring one warmer layer in case it is colder.

The gap between day and night is about 19°F. Mornings and evenings feel cool, especially near the water. The photo at the top shows downtown with snow on the San Gabriel Mountains behind it, a reminder that the hills can look wintry while the city stays mild.

Key Takeaway In January, downtown Los Angeles averages a 68.0°F high, a 48.9°F low and 3.29 inches of rain, so plan for mild days, cool nights and one wet day in the mix.

How much does it rain in Los Angeles in January?

Downtown Los Angeles gets 3.29 inches of rain in an average January, which makes it one of the wetter months of the year. February is slightly wetter at 3.64 inches. The same average for July is 0.02 inches.

In an average January, downtown has 6.1 days with at least 0.01 inch of rain and 4.4 days with at least 0.10 inch, according to the NOAA 1991-2020 normals. That is about one day in five. The other four in five are dry on average.

Rain also changes the beach. Los Angeles County says rain advisories for its beaches stay in effect for 72 hours after the rainfall ends, and it advises beachgoers to avoid all water contact, especially near storm drains, creeks and rivers. You can still walk the sand on those days. Skip the swim.

Pro Tip After rain, call the county beach hotline at 1-800-525-5662 before you get in the water, and remember the advisory runs 72 hours after the rain stops.

On a wet day, an indoor plan keeps the trip on track. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is a 3-hour visit with sound stages and a self-guided part, from €70.33 per person. It is run by Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, and GetYourGuide shows 4.6 stars from 8,833 reviews. The tour meets at 3400 Warner Blvd in Burbank, and the group has up to 14 people. Tips and transport are not included, and children under 5 are not suitable. The listing showed free cancellation up to 24 hours before for a full refund on 22 October 2026, so read its own terms before you book. A tour is worth it here, because you cannot reach the stage lot on your own.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026.

Museums are another choice. See our guide to the La Brea Tar Pits and LACMA for a day that does not depend on the sky.

How does January compare with the rest of the year?

January is one of the coolest and wettest months in Los Angeles, but it is not cold. Here are the downtown averages for every month.

The figures match the NOAA monthly normals for the downtown station. The year totals 14.25 inches of rain, and January and February together bring about 6.9 inches, nearly half of it.

If you are still choosing a month, weather is only half of the choice. The other half is price, and our Los Angeles trip cost study shows what the trip costs in the months you are weighing.

A mild winter day in Los Angeles can still turn wet, so plan one indoor backup for every outdoor plan.

What should you pack for Los Angeles in January?

Pack layers, because a 68°F afternoon and a 49°F night are 19 degrees apart. Bring a light jacket or sweater for the morning and evening, and a thin rain jacket for the showers. Comfortable walking shoes that can handle a wet sidewalk help on any day.

A swimsuit is optional, and we cannot say if the sea is warm enough to swim. We did not find an official January ocean temperature, so we give none. NOAA's Santa Monica Basin buoy page shows the current water temperature. Also, after rain Los Angeles County advises staying out of the water for 72 hours. These air averages are for downtown, and the coast may differ.

What is there to do in Los Angeles in January?

January is a good month to visit Los Angeles for whale watching, coast walks and indoor sights, and about 25 of its 31 days are dry, although no official page we opened gives a sunshine-hours number. Pack a rain jacket, and you do not need to wait for summer for any of them.

Whale watching is the winter special. Harbor Breeze says it runs whale and dolphin trips all year and lists a winter gray whale and dolphin season on its Long Beach whale watching page. The Aquarium of the Pacific counted its gray whale season from 1 December in its report on the migration. The Long Beach whale and dolphin watching cruise lasts 2.5 hours, from €42.73 per person. The operator is Harbor Breeze, and GetYourGuide shows 4.5 stars from 1,049 reviews. The listing says educators from the Aquarium of the Pacific are on board. It gives no group size, and the meeting point may vary by option. Food, drinks, tips and parking are not included. It showed free cancellation on 22 October 2026, so read its own terms before you book. A tour is worth it here, because you cannot join a whale boat on your own.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026.

Our count of GetYourGuide listings on 22 October 2026 found 26 water activities near Los Angeles. Seven of them are whale watching trips, from €32.63 to €195 per person.

On a dry day, head to the coast. The Santa Monica and Venice Beach bike or eBike tour starts at 1431 Ocean Ave in Santa Monica and lasts 3 hours, from €67.56 per person. It is run by Unlimited Biking Los Angeles, and GetYourGuide shows 4.4 stars from 33 reviews. The group has up to 15 people. Bike or e-bike, helmet and guide are included, but tips, food and drink are not. The listing says it is not suitable for pregnant women. The listing showed free cancellation on 22 October 2026, up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can do the same stretch on your own, and the Venice Beach boardwalk is free to walk. Do it on your own if you are happy to rent a bike. Pick the tour if you want a guide, local stops and the bike hire in one price.

Before you book any of the three, check four things in the listing: who runs it, the meeting point, the length and what is not included. On 22 October 2026 GetYourGuide showed Harbor Breeze at 4.5 from 1,049 reviews, Unlimited Biking Los Angeles at 4.4 from 33 and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood at 4.6 from 8,833, with free cancellation on all three. The whale cruise lists no group size, so ask the operator if that matters to you.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026.

For other plans, our guides to Hollywood and Beverly Hills tours and Downtown Los Angeles cover days that work in most weather.

Here are the limits of this guide. The numbers are 30-year averages from one downtown station, so a single January can be much wetter or drier, and the coast, valleys and mountains differ from downtown. Sunshine hours and ocean temperature are not published in the official averages we used, so we give no number for either.