San Diego Forecast Signals Limited Rainfall Through Late January After Record-Wet Start to 2026

A sharp shift from early-month storms to a prolonged dry pattern

After an unusually wet opening to the year, San Diego is now entering a stretch in which meaningful rainfall appears unlikely for the remainder of January. The change follows a series of early January storms that delivered totals near or above what the city typically receives during the entire month.

Measured at San Diego International Airport, more than two inches fell in a single early-January storm period, exceeding the airport’s average January rainfall (about two inches). By the first week of January, the airport had recorded more than three inches for 2026, the most for the first five days of January since local recordkeeping began in 1939.

What the larger atmospheric setup suggests

Forecast discussions and longer-range outlooks for mid- to late January point to a stable pattern that tends to suppress storm activity over Southern California. Broadly, high pressure over the eastern Pacific and the western United States has been associated with warmer-than-average conditions and fewer opportunities for organized storm systems to reach the region.

In this configuration, any precipitation that does arrive is more likely to be limited and intermittent, such as light coastal showers tied to weaker, cut-off systems rather than widespread, high-impact rain events. Forecast confidence typically decreases farther into the future, but current guidance does not show a strong signal for a significant storm sequence before month’s end.

What residents may notice day to day

• More frequent stretches of dry, mild weather, with temperatures often running above seasonal averages.

• Periods of night and morning low clouds or fog, especially near the coast and in valleys.

• Short-lived, light rain chances that may not translate into substantial accumulation.

Why January rainfall still matters even after a wet start

January and February are historically the wettest months in San Diego, averaging roughly 1.9 inches each. That climatology is one reason forecasters continue to watch late-month signals closely: even a brief return of Pacific storm activity can materially change monthly totals.

For now, the expected dry stretch means the region may rely heavily on rain already received earlier in the month, while planners and residents track whether storm activity returns closer to the end of January or slips into early February.

Forecast outlooks indicate that late-January precipitation prospects remain uncertain, but the prevailing pattern currently favors continued dryness over San Diego.