Honestly, if you're checking the long beach ca 90805 weather right now, you’re probably looking at a forecast for the airport or the downtown marina and thinking, "Cool, I know what to wear today."
You're likely wrong.
Living in or visiting the 90805—which basically covers North Long Beach, from the 91 freeway down toward Bixby Knolls—is a totally different vibe than the actual coast. While the tourists down at the Pike are shivering in a 62°F marine layer that won't quit, you’re often sitting in 75°F sunshine just five miles inland. This isn't just a "Southern California thing." It's a specific microclimate quirk that defines life in this part of town.
The North Long Beach Heat Gap
North Long Beach is far enough from the Pacific that the "air conditioning" effect of the ocean starts to fail. On a typical July day, it's not uncommon to see a 10-degree difference between the 90803 (Belmont Shore) and the 90805.
Essentially, the marine layer—that thick, gray blanket of clouds locals call "May Gray" or "June Gloom"—tends to burn off much faster over the 91 and the 710 than it does over the Queen Mary. If you’re planning a day at Houghton Park or hitting up the shops along Atlantic Avenue, don't trust the "Long Beach" weather on your iPhone home screen. It’s almost always calibrated for the harbor.
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Check the wind direction. When it’s coming from the north, things get weird. Those are the Santa Ana winds, and they turn the 90805 into a literal oven. While the beach might stay a breezy 78°F, North Long Beach can easily spike into the high 90s.
Current Snapshot: January 2026
Right now, we're seeing some pretty bizarre numbers. For Saturday, January 17, 2026, the high is hitting a massive 82°F. That is well above the historical average for January, which usually hovers around 68°F.
The humidity today is sitting at 33%, which is quite dry for a coastal city. That’s those offshore winds doing their thing. Usually, January is our wettest month, averaging about 2.87 inches of rain. But today? It’s partly sunny with only a 10% chance of rain.
Tonight will drop down to 49°F. That is a 33-degree swing. If you’re heading out for tacos tonight, bring a real jacket. The desert-like transition from day to night in the 90805 is no joke.
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Why the 90805 Feels "Dryer"
You’ve probably heard people say Long Beach is a "semi-arid" climate. That’s technical talk for "it doesn't rain much, but it's not quite a desert." Specifically, the Köppen-Geiger classification for this area is BSk—a mid-latitude steppe climate.
Most of our rain comes in big, dramatic bursts between December and March. Outside of those months, the 90805 is basically a drought zone. This makes the local landscaping a bit of a challenge. You’ll see a lot of Mediterranean plants—lavender, rosemary, and succulents—because the sandy-loam soil here doesn't hold moisture well during those long, cloudless stretches in "Fogust."
Historical Weirdness: The 1939 "Cordonazo"
People think Southern California is immune to hurricanes. We aren't.
Back in September 1939, a tropical storm nicknamed "El Cordonazo" (the Lash of St. Francis) made a direct hit near San Pedro. It remains the only tropical storm to make landfall in California in recorded history.
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In Long Beach, the winds smashed windows and flooded everything. The Hamilton Bowl, which is a major drainage basin near the 90805 border, overflowed and turned local streets into rivers. It dumped over 5 inches of rain in 24 hours. While we haven't seen anything that intense lately, the "Atmospheric Rivers" we’ve been getting over the last couple of years are the modern-day equivalent. They turn the 710 freeway into a splash pad in minutes.
Practical Advice for Navigating 90805 Weather
If you actually live here, you know the drill. But if you’re new, here is the survival kit for the North Long Beach climate.
- The Layering Rule: If it's 10:00 AM and cloudy, keep the hoodie on. By 12:30 PM, the sun will come out and the temp will jump 15 degrees. You'll want a t-shirt underneath.
- The Humidity Trap: Don't be fooled by the "coastal" label. When the humidity hits 79% (like it did earlier this morning), it feels sticky, even if it's only 50 degrees out.
- The UV Index: Today’s index is a 2, which is low. But in the summer, North Long Beach routinely hits 10+. Because we get less fog than the coast, the sun exposure is more intense here.
The 90805 is a unique spot. It’s got the benefits of the ocean breeze without the constant gloom of the beach fog. It’s warmer, sunnier, and a bit more predictable than the actual shore—as long as you know which way the wind is blowing.
Keep an eye on the long beach ca 90805 weather specifically for North Long Beach rather than the generic city-wide forecast. You'll avoid a lot of "should I have brought a sweater?" regret.
Next Steps for Today:
Since the high is reaching 82°F with a low UV index of 2, it’s a perfect day for outdoor chores or a park visit before the clouds move back in tonight. Be sure to water your plants early; with humidity dropping to 33% by midday, the soil is going to dry out fast. If you're planning for next week, keep Friday, January 23 on your radar—the chance of rain starts creeping up to 25% as a cooler system moves in.