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Typical January weather

Monterey

California · January

Storm surf, empty beaches, and the trees full of butterflies.

62° days
43° nights

about 5 rainy days · 10 hours of daylight · ocean 56°

What to pack

What January feels like

The monarch grove in Pacific Grove is still busy in January, which is why the town calls itself Butterfly Town USA. Storms bring the biggest swell of the year into Carmel Bay — magnificent from the cliff path, and no place to be in the water.

Expect about 5 days with real rain — enough to notice, not enough to plan around.

Can you swim?

The ocean runs about 56° — frigid — locals in wetsuits only.

The numbers

Typical high62°
Typical low43°
Days with real rain5
Total rain3.5 in
Water temperature56°
Sunrise / sunset (mid-month)7:18 am / 5:15 pm

How January compares

See the whole year in Monterey ›