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San Francisco in January: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Planning a trip and want to know what the weather in San Francisco in January will be like? Take a look at our weather guide for San Francisco, based on historical data.
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January

Weather in San Francisco in January 2025

OK Weather
Mild
☁️
Cloudy
If you plan to visit San Francisco in January, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +57°F during the day and approximately 5 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 8 rainy days in the month and around 109 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
  • January is usually the coldest month of the year in San Francisco;

Average weather

☀️
+57°F
Avg. max. temperature
+30°F
Min.
+75°F
Max.
109 mm
Total precipitation
82%
Avg. humidity
2 m/s
Avg. wind
5 ☀️
Sunny Days
18 ⛅️
Cloudy
8 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: San Francisco has OK weather in January.

Average temperature in San Francisco in January

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in San Francisco for January based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The temperature in January is +59°F on average, with a range between a maximum of +66°F during the day and a minimum of +34°F at night.

The average maximum temperature goes up 17% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +54°F to +59°F.

Is San Francisco warm or cold in January?

San Francisco is typically mild in January.

Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +57°F to +57°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +45°F to +45°F.

Pack a light jacket as it will be warm in the day and cool in the evenings.

January is the coldest month in San Francisco, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in San Francisco in January

San Francisco weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Avg. temperature
+57°F+57°F+61°F
Min. temperature
+25°F+30°F+30°F
Max. temperature
+73°F+75°F+75°F
Rainfall
115 mm109 mm111 mm
Wind
2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s
Humidity
80%82%80%
Air pressure
1018 HPa1018 HPa1017 HPa
Sunny days
755
Cloudy days
161815
Rainy days
888
Snowy days
000

January weather is still as ok as in December. The temperature levels stay the same in the area of +57°F for average maximum temperature during the day. As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 115 mm to 109 mm. Humidity rises from 80% to 82%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 2 m/s. The days becoming less sunny, going from 7 sunny days in December to 5 in January.

February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in San Francisco in January based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 1 m/s getting up to 3 m/s which is a light breeze; barely moving the tree leaves.

The average wind speed in San Francisco is gradually increasing during January, going from 0 m/s to 2 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during January in San Francisco based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 13% chance of rain on an average day in January, with total rainfall of approximately 25 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 19 mm, which is considered light rain. San Francisco is amazing in January with as little as 4 rainy days on average, so plan adventures in the great outdoors.
January is one of the rainiest months in San Francisco, here is a comparison with other months, total mm:
San Francisco wettest month is December, where a typical day has a 26% chance of precipitation and 115 mm of rainfall per day. July, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 0% chance of precipitation and 0 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last January in San Francisco?

This is the weather in San Francisco in January 2023:
1 January
☀️
+54°F
2 January
☀️
+52°F
3 January
☁️
+55°F
4 January
🌧️
+58°F
5 January
☁️
+58°F
6 January
☁️
+57°F
7 January
☁️
+57°F
8 January
☁️
+57°F
9 January
☀️
+57°F
10 January
☁️
+60°F
11 January
☁️
+61°F
12 January
☁️
+60°F
13 January
☁️
+60°F
14 January
☁️
+63°F
15 January
☁️
+62°F
16 January
☁️
+60°F
17 January
☁️
+60°F
18 January
☁️
+60°F
19 January
☁️
+59°F
20 January
☁️
+61°F
21 January
☁️
+67°F
22 January
☁️
+66°F
23 January
☀️
+64°F
24 January
☀️
+63°F
25 January
☁️
+58°F
26 January
☀️
+60°F
27 January
☀️
+63°F
28 January
☁️
+63°F
29 January
☁️
+62°F
30 January
☀️
+62°F
31 January
☁️
+59°F
In January 2023 San Francisco had 8 sunny days, 22 cloudy days, and 1 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +59°F, with an absolute maximum of +66°F and a minimum of +52°F. The average humidity was 78%, with a maximum of 99% and a minimum of 29%. The average wind speed was 1 m/s, with a maximum of 7 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how San Francisco climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in San Francisco in January has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1982 (+54°F) and the highest in 2014 (+68°F). The driest year was 2015 with only 1 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 1995 with 339 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in San Francisco in January:

Is January a good time to visit San Francisco?

It’s always a good time to visit San Francisco, but the weather is changeable in January, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in San Francisco in January?

January has mild temperatures in San Francisco. Not ideal for sunbathing, but still good for daytime outdoor activities, but plan for cool evenings. Pack a light jacket and shorts!

Is San Francisco rainy in January?

San Francisco is often rainy in January. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in San Francisco in January?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in San Francisco in January, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in USA

Check out the weather for other cities in USA.

Monthly weather in San Francisco

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in San Francisco, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.