San Luis Obispo weather in January: San Luis Obispo, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
San Luis Obispo in January has a normal high of 65°F and a normal low of 41°F, a daily mean of 53°F, holding near 65°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal January, 3.86 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 18°C and low of 5°C, 98 mm of precipitation in January.
- NOAA stationSan Luis Obispo Airport
- Station IDUSW00093206
- Location35.24°N 120.64°W
- Elevation200 ft (61 m)
- Population49,729
- Jan 65° 41°
- Feb 65° 42°
- Mar 67° 45°
- Apr 69° 46°
- May 72° 48°
- Jun 75° 51°
- Jul 78° 54°
- Aug 79° 55°
- Sep 80° 53°
- Oct 77° 50°
- Nov 71° 45°
- Dec 65° 40°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is San Luis Obispo in January?
The normal high is 65°F and the normal low 41°F, for a daily mean of 52.8°F. January is 0.2°F warmer than December and 1.0°F cooler than February. January is the 11th warmest month of the year in San Luis Obispo and the wettest. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 2.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 51°F and 55°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 30%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% |
| January 8 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 15% |
| January 15 | 65°F | 41°F | 27% | 15% |
| January 22 | 65°F | 41°F | 28% | 16% |
| January 31 | 65°F | 41°F | 30% | 17% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 17, coldest night January 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 2 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 4 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 5 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 6 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 7 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 8 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 9 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 10 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 11 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 12 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 13 | 65°F | 40°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 14 | 65°F | 41°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 15 | 65°F | 41°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 16 | 65°F | 41°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 17 | 65°F | 41°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h |
| January 18 | 65°F | 41°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 19 | 65°F | 41°F | 27% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 20 | 65°F | 41°F | 28% | 15% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 21 | 65°F | 41°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 65°F | 41°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 65°F | 41°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 65°F | 41°F | 28% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 65°F | 41°F | 29% | 16% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 26 | 65°F | 41°F | 29% | 16% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 65°F | 41°F | 29% | 16% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 65°F | 41°F | 29% | 16% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 65°F | 41°F | 29% | 17% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 30 | 65°F | 41°F | 30% | 17% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 31 | 65°F | 41°F | 30% | 17% | 10 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 65°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 41°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.86 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 3
- Daylight
- 9 h 50 min to 10 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 10
- Days at 80°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 81%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093206; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in San Luis Obispo in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 28% on average, highest around January 31 (30%). In all, 3.86 in falls on 8 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in San Luis Obispo, 3 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093206.
What are the records for January in San Luis Obispo?
The warmest January temperature on this station's record (since 1998) is 91°F, on January 16, 2014; the coldest is 21°F, on January 14, 2007. The wettest January brought 10.49 in (2017).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 52.8°F: 2021 55.5°F (+2.7), 2022 55.4°F (+2.6), 2023 51.7°F (−1.1), 2024 57.0°F (+4.2), 2025 53.4°F (+0.6), 2026 56.3°F (+3.5). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.5°F | +2.7°F | 6.30 in |
| 2022 | 55.4°F | +2.6°F | 0.01 in |
| 2023 | 51.7°F | −1.1°F | 9.41 in |
| 2024 | 57.0°F | +4.2°F | 2.93 in |
| 2025 | 53.4°F | +0.6°F | 0.19 in |
| 2026 | 56.3°F | +3.5°F | 2.32 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093206; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093206. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in San Luis Obispo compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, January normal highs run from 37°F in Tahoma to 72°F in Brawley; San Luis Obispo's is 65°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- San Luis Obispo in December65°F by day, 40°F at night
- San Luis Obispo in February65°F by day, 42°F at night
- San Luis Obispo through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Brawley: California's warmest Januarynormal high 72°F