Weather in San Diego in January

January in San Diego is mild enough that walking is the default. This is a city-break month more than a sea-holiday month.

In United States, this is how San Diego actually wears January, not how a country centroid would. Compared with August and December, January sits in the middle of San Diego's year.

San Diego
Average temp
14°C

10–19°C

Rainfall
50 mm

Showers likely

Sunshine
Wind
8 km/h

What to expect

Daytime

Mild afternoons in San Diego are the prize in January. You can eat outside on the good days. You still want something for the breeze.

This is walking weather. Shade is useful, not essential the way it is in the hot months. A long outdoor day is a reasonable plan.

Rain

January is the wet side of the year in San Diego. Days can be heavy. Plans that cannot survive rain are the wrong plans.

This is not a reason to skip San Diego if you like the place. It is a reason to pack for weather and to stop treating every grey hour as a failed holiday.

Evening

Evenings are cooler. A layer helps after sunset.

What to pack

  • Rain jacket

  • A layer for cooler evenings

Where to stay in San Diego

Dates are a starting point for January.

All hotels in San Diego

Travel guides for San Diego

What to read before you book.

All travel guides in San Diego

Average weather in San Diego

TemperatureRainfall

Source: MeteostatPeriod: 1991-2020Checked: 28 Aug 2026265 places covered

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FAQs about San Diego

Climate averages for San Diego, 1991–2020.

The best time to visit San Diego is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

August is the hottest month, with an average around 22°C.

February is the wettest month, with about 56 mm of rain.

No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.