It's January 14, 2026, and if you’re standing in downtown Los Angeles right now, you aren't reaching for a parka. Honestly, you might be looking for a pair of shorts. While the rest of the country is grappling with standard winter gloom, Southern California is currently stuck in a weird, beautiful, and slightly concerning heat spike.
The la weather forecast 14 days outlook shows a classic Los Angeles tug-of-war between unseasonable Santa Ana warmth and a lurking Pacific storm track that can't quite decide when to arrive.
The current "Winter" heatwave
Right now, we are seeing temperatures that would make July jealous. Today, January 14, hit a high of 82°F. That isn't just "nice" weather; it's about 15 degrees above the historical average for this time of year.
High pressure is currently parked over the West, acting like a giant invisible lid that keeps the cool ocean air out and the warm desert air in. This offshore flow—what we locals usually just call the Santa Anas—is the primary driver for this week’s dry, crisp heat.
The immediate forecast through the end of this week stays aggressively sunny. Tomorrow, January 15, looks like another scorcher with a high of 79°F. Even as we head into the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, the cooling trend is more of a gentle slide than a steep drop.
Expect the low 80s to stick around through Friday, dipping into the mid-70s by Sunday. If you have outdoor plans for the long weekend, you’re basically in the clear.
Why the 14-day window is tricky
Looking at the second half of this two-week window is where things get interesting. Most models, including the recent synopses from UCLA’s Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences department, suggest a pattern shift.
There’s a jet stream move happening over the northeastern Pacific. For a while, the "computer brains" thought the rain would hit by January 17. Now, they’ve back-pedaled.
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The current consensus has pushed the potential for wet weather back to January 21 or 22. Even then, it looks like a "maybe." We might see some isolated showers by the 22nd, but the first real threat of actual, car-washing rain isn't showing up until the weekend of January 24.
The La Niña factor in 2026
We can't talk about the la weather forecast 14 days without mentioning the elephant in the room: La Niña. We are currently in a weak La Niña cycle, which usually means a drier-than-average Southern California.
However, "weak" is the keyword. According to the Climate Prediction Center, there’s about a 61% chance we transition to ENSO-neutral (the "in-between" phase) sometime between now and March.
When La Niña is weak, the weather gets "moody." You get these massive blocks of high pressure that give us 85-degree days in January, followed by sudden, sharp "atmospheric rivers" that can dump two inches of rain in six hours.
The California Department of Water Resources recently noted that while our statewide reservoir storage is sitting at a healthy 114% of historical averages, the southern Sierra snowpack is much healthier than the north.
For us in LA, this means we aren't in a drought panic yet, but this current dry spell is definitely being watched closely by the experts at Phillips Station. They’ve seen Januarys "change on a dime" before.
Breaking down the next two weeks
If you're trying to plan your life, here is how the atmosphere is likely to behave:
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Phase 1: The Heat (Jan 14 – Jan 18) Sunny, dry, and windy. Highs between 76°F and 84°F. Fire danger is slightly elevated because the humidity is hovering around 25-30%. Keep an eye on those Santa Ana gusts if you're driving a high-profile vehicle through the passes.
Phase 2: The Transition (Jan 19 – Jan 21) The marine layer starts to wake up. You’ll notice more "natural air conditioning" as highs drop back toward the low 70s and upper 60s. Expect some morning fog to return to the coast.
Phase 3: The Wildcard (Jan 22 – Jan 28) This is the "question mark" zone. Long-range ensembles show a 30-40% chance of rain. It probably won't be a catastrophic flood, but it’ll likely be the first time you need a jacket in two weeks. Daytime highs will likely hover around 67°F to 69°F.
What most people get wrong about LA winters
There’s a myth that Los Angeles doesn't have seasons. We do; they're just compressed and erratic.
January is technically our wettest month historically, alongside February. But because of our Mediterranean climate, "wet" doesn't mean it rains every day. It means it stays bone-dry for three weeks and then pours for three days.
Mercury Insurance recently put out a warning for this exact 2026 window. They pointed out that these rapid temperature swings—going from 80s to 60s with rain—are actually harder on homes and cars than a steady cold.
When the ground gets baked dry by a Santa Ana heatwave and then hit by a sudden January storm, the water doesn't soak in. It runs off. That’s how you get those localized street floods that catch everyone off guard on the 101 or the 405.
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Actionable steps for the next 14 days
Don't let the 80-degree sun fool you into total complacency. Use this dry window to check your rain gutters; you’ll thank yourself when that late-January shift finally happens.
If you are hiking in the Santa Monica mountains this week, carry twice as much water as you think you need. The air is exceptionally dry right now, and dehydration sneaks up on you faster when the humidity is this low.
Lastly, keep an eye on the Wednesday (Jan 21) forecast update. That is when the models will finally have enough "vision" to tell us if that late-month rain is a real storm or just a few passing clouds.
Summary of the 14-day outlook
The la weather forecast 14 days is a story of two halves. We start with unseasonable warmth that feels more like early summer, driven by high pressure and offshore winds. By the end of next week, the door opens for the Pacific storm track to return. While significant rain isn't a guarantee, a return to cooler, more "winter-like" temperatures is almost certain as we head toward February.
Enjoy the beach weather while it lasts, but keep the umbrella within reach for the following weekend. The volatility of 2026 is just getting started.
Practical Next Steps:
- Clear any debris from your home's exterior drains while the weather is dry.
- Hydrate aggressively during this week's Santa Ana wind event.
- Check your windshield wipers; they’ve likely dry-rotted during this sun streak and will be useless when the rain arrives later this month.