Costa Mesa, CA weather in January
Costa Mesa is mild in January, with some rain: highs average 69°F and nights drop to about 49°F. Rain falls on about 7 days. A great month for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 69°F
- Normal low
- 49°F
- Wet days
- 7
- 2.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How January changes from start to finish
| January 1 | January 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 69°F | 69°F |
| Normal low | 48°F | 49°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 20% | 20% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:56 am / 4:54 pm | 6:48 am / 5:21 pm |
| Daylight | 10.0 h | 10.6 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical January day
- 6 am51°Fdew point 41°F
- 9 am57°Fdew point 41°F
- Noon64°Fdew point 41°F
- 3 pm63°Fdew point 45°F
- 6 pm59°Fdew point 47°F
- 9 pm57°Fdew point 45°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Los Angeles Intl Airport (34 mi away); average wind 6 mph; clear or few clouds in 35% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 44%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F20 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph5 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow7 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per January, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in January
Normal precipitation is 2.2 in; a dry January brings about 0.5 in and a wet one about 2.9 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How January varies from year to year
- Warmest January, 1991-20202003: average high 77°F
- Coolest January1995: average high 64°F
- Wettest January1995: 11.1 in
- Driest January2003: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading96°F (January 31, 2003)
- Lowest reading31°F (January 14, 2007)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
January compared with December and February
| December | January | February | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 68°F | 69°F | 69°F |
| Normal low | 48°F | 49°F | 50°F |
| Wet days | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 22 | 20 | 18 |
| Daylight | 10.0 h | 10.2 h | 11.0 h |
Highs change by +1°F from December and 0°F into February.
Nearby alternatives in January
- Drier: Palm Springs, CA80 mi · high 71°F · 3 wet days
- Cooler: Oceanside, CA44 mi · high 63°F · 6 wet days
How Costa Mesa ranks in January
- Normal high30th warmest of 378 cities; 5th of 60 in California
- Wet days82nd driest of 378
- Comfortable days11th most of 339
Heating and cooling
January has 199 heating degree days and 13 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 9% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Costa Mesa in January?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low is 49°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was 31°F (January 14, 2007).
Does it rain a lot in Costa Mesa in January?
About 7 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.2 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 1995 (11.1 in); the driest was in 2003, with no measurable precipitation.
Is January a good time to visit Costa Mesa?
January ranks 8th of 12 months on our comfort score for Costa Mesa (70 out of 100). It has about 20 comfortable days. The best month is May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature: Santa Ana Fire Stn (USC00047888), 7.7 mi NNE of the city center, 135 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Rain, snowfall and snow depth: Newport Beach Harbor (USC00046175), 3.3 mi SE of the city center, 10 ft (90 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Santa Ana John Wayne Airport (USW00093184), 4.0 mi NE of the city center, 54 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Los Angeles Intl Airport (USW00023174), 34 mi NW of the city center, 97 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: J. Wayne Apt-Orange Co Apt (722977-93184), 4.0 mi NE of the city center, 43 ft (57 ft lower than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.