Sun, sea & sand

San Diego weather in January

Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.

30

Holiday weather in January

Poor

Best time to visit: July – September

What is the weather like in San Diego in January?

In January, San Diego is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 15.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 56 mm. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in San Diego.

January compared

How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.

DecemberDecJanuaryJanFebruaryFeb
Score293029
Day17°17°17°
Night9°9°9°
Sea16°15°15°
Sun6 h7 h7 h
Rain days667

More details for January

Daylight
10 h 13 min06:51 – 17:04
UV index
3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
Wind
14 km/haverage daily peak
Cloud cover
45 %on average
Hot days
0 days30 °C or more
Time zone
UTC−8America/Los_Angeles

How the score comes together

  • Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
  • Seaweight 25 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %62 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 20 %89 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.

What to pack in January

  • Sunscreen
  • A jumper for the evenings

San Diego in January: quick answers

Is San Diego hot in January?

No. In January, San Diego is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C and nights drop to about 9 °C.

Can you swim in San Diego in January?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 15.2 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from July to September.

Does it rain much in San Diego in January?

Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 56 mm.

San Diego month by month

Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)