You’d think January in Southern California would mean sweaters and maybe a stray umbrella. Honestly, though, if you’re looking at the weather 10 day los angeles ca right now, you’re seeing something a lot more like a weirdly early spring.
The Santa Ana winds are doing their thing. They’re blowing in from the northeast, pushing out the marine layer and cranking the heat up way past what the calendar suggests. While the rest of the country is digging out of snow, we're basically looking at beach weather. It’s lovely, sure, but it’s also a bit intense for mid-winter.
The Immediate Outlook: Sun and More Sun
Right now, Los Angeles is sitting pretty at 78°F. That’s the high for today, Sunday, January 18, 2026. It’s dry out there, too. Humidity is hovering around 18%, which is basically desert levels. If your skin feels like parchment, that’s why.
Tomorrow stays warm. Expect a high of 74°F on Monday. It’s perfect for a holiday weekend stroll, but keep that sunscreen handy. Even though the UV index is only at a 3, the direct sun at these temperatures can still catch you off guard if you’re out all day.
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The Mid-Week Shift
Tuesday is when the clouds start creeping back in. We’ll hit 75°F, but it’ll feel a bit different with that "mostly cloudy" tag attached to it. By Wednesday, the temperature drops to 70°F. This is the start of a cooling trend that the National Weather Service has been eyeing.
The ridge of high pressure that’s been keeping us toasty is finally moving east. In its place, we’re getting some faster-moving northwest flow.
Basically, the AC is turning back on.
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The Back Half of the 10-Day Forecast
If you’ve got outdoor plans for next weekend, pay attention. The weather 10 day los angeles ca shows a pretty steady slide toward "actual" winter.
- Thursday, Jan 22: High of 68°F with a 25% chance of rain. Don't cancel your plans, but maybe bring a jacket.
- Friday, Jan 23: The coolest day in the stretch at 66°F. Humidity jumps up to nearly 60%.
- Saturday, Jan 24: We start to bounce back a little. 69°F and mostly sunny.
It’s a classic LA see-saw. One minute you’re in shorts, the next you’re looking for your favorite hoodie because it hit 65 and suddenly everyone is "freezing."
Why Is It So Dry?
The wind. It’s always the wind. Currently, we’ve got a light breeze from the south at 1 mph, but the earlier offshore flow from the north and east is what stripped the moisture out of the air. When that air drops down the mountains into the LA basin, it compresses and heats up.
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It's called adiabatic heating. Science, right? It’s why we get these 80-degree spikes in the middle of January while the East Coast is shivering.
Is Rain Ever Coming Back?
The short answer: probably not this week. While there’s a tiny 10% to 25% chance of some sprinkles between Wednesday and Friday, the major models (the AI-GFS and AI-EC for the weather nerds out there) are keeping us mostly dry through the 27th.
There’s a hint of something wetter toward the very end of the month, around the 28th or 29th, but that’s still pretty far out in "maybe" territory.
Actionable Tips for This Week
- Hydrate your skin: With humidity at 18% today and staying low for a few days, you’re going to feel the dry air.
- Layer up for the evenings: The gap between the day's high and the night's low is huge. We’re talking 78°F down to 57°F. That 20-degree drop happens fast once the sun dips behind the Santa Monica mountains.
- Check your plants: These dry, windy stretches can suck the life out of your garden. A little extra water on Monday evening won't hurt.
- Enjoy the clarity: This kind of weather usually means the smog is pushed out. It’s the best time to head up to Griffith Observatory or the Getty for those "see forever" views of the Pacific.
The weather 10 day los angeles ca is looking like a mix of "fake summer" followed by a gentle return to reality. Enjoy the heat while it lasts, because by next Friday, you'll probably be reaching for those cozy layers again.