Best Time to Visit Los Angeles

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May and June are the best months in Los Angeles: 27.2°C (81.0°F) and 28.5°C (83.3°F) daytime highs with a combined 6.1mm (0.24in) of rain across both months and exactly one rainy day between them. April and October are close behind and cost less. Skip August, which hit 33.2°C (91.8°F), and skip November and December, which absorbed 370.4mm (14.6in) of rain — 59% of the entire year's total in two months.

The best months: May, June, and early autumn

May is the month where Los Angeles delivers the weather it advertises. Highs of 27.2°C (81.0°F), lows of 14.6°C (58.3°F), and 1.5mm (0.06in) of rain spread across zero days that registered as rainy. That last number is not a rounding artifact — measurable rain fell, but never enough on any single day to count as a wet day. You can plan a beach afternoon, a Griffith Observatory hike, and an outdoor dinner in Silver Lake on the same day without checking a forecast.

June is warmer and just as dry: 28.5°C (83.3°F) high, 15.8°C (60.4°F) low, 4.6mm (0.18in) of rain on one day. The number the table cannot show you is morning cloud. June in coastal Los Angeles frequently opens grey and burns off by noon — the marine layer. This does not appear as rain because it isn't rain, but it does mean a 9am beach plan in Santa Monica can look bleak while downtown is already in full sun. Book beach mornings for late June or shift them to the afternoon.

The 27–29°C (81–84°F) band in May and June is the practical sweet spot. It is warm enough that the Pacific is tolerable and cool enough that walking Universal Studios or the Getty grounds for six hours doesn't wreck you. Nights drop to 14.6–15.8°C (58.3–60.4°F), which is a 12–13°C (22–23°F) swing from the daytime high. That swing is the single most underestimated thing about Los Angeles weather. An 81°F afternoon becomes a 58°F evening, and outdoor restaurant patios get genuinely cold after sunset.

Months to avoid: August, November, December

August is the heat month, and it is not close. Highs of 33.2°C (91.8°F) against a July high of 29.4°C (84.9°F) — nearly four degrees Celsius hotter than the month before it. Rainfall was 0.0mm. Zero. There is no cooling break, no afternoon storm to clear the air. Lows only fall to 18.2°C (64.8°F), so the nights don't reset either. Inland neighbourhoods — Burbank, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley — run hotter than these coastal-weighted figures, so a Universal Studios day in August means queuing in direct sun above 33°C. If you go anyway, do the theme parks at opening and the coast in the afternoon, where the ocean holds the temperature down.

November is the wet month, and the shape of the rain matters more than the total. 205.0mm (8.07in) fell across 7 rainy days. That averages 29mm (1.15in) per wet day, which is not drizzle — that is a genuine storm system parking over the basin for a day at a time. The other 23 days of November were dry, with a pleasant 21.8°C (71.2°F) high. So November is not a washout; it is a gamble with high stakes on individual days. If your trip is four days long and one storm lands on it, you lose a quarter of your trip to indoor plans.

December runs the same pattern: 165.4mm (6.51in) over 6 days, so 27.6mm (1.09in) per wet day, with highs of 19.9°C (67.8°F) and lows of 9.7°C (49.5°F). Los Angeles rain also causes disproportionate traffic problems because the roads carry months of accumulated oil. Add an hour to every drive on a wet day.

Shoulder season: April, October, and March

April is the value pick. Highs of 23.5°C (74.3°F), lows of 11.2°C (52.2°F), and 8.4mm (0.33in) of rain on a single day. That is drier than May in rain-day terms is equal, and it sits before the summer price ramp. The trade-off is water temperature and evening chill — 11.2°C (52.2°F) nights mean a real jacket, not a light layer, and the ocean is cold enough that surfing requires a wetsuit.

October is the other strong shoulder month and the better one if you want warmth: 26.6°C (79.9°F) high, 14.3°C (57.7°F) low. The catch is 58.7mm (2.31in) over 4 days, which works out to 14.7mm (0.58in) per wet day. That is moderate rain, not the November deluge, and 27 of the month's days stayed dry. October also carries the tail of fire season, when Santa Ana winds can push air quality down for a few days at a time.

March is the contrarian option and the numbers reward a closer look. It logged 9 rainy days — more than any other month, including November — but only 62.8mm (2.47in) total. That is 7.0mm (0.28in) per wet day: light, intermittent rain that passes. Nine days of drizzle spread across a month is very different from seven days of downpour. Highs sit at 20.3°C (68.5°F). March is cheap, green, and mild, and you should bring a light rain shell rather than cancel plans.

What each season actually means for your day

Late spring (April–June). T-shirt and shorts from 11am to 6pm, then a fleece or light jacket after dark as temperatures fall toward 11–16°C (52–60°F). One pair of walking shoes covers everything. No umbrella needed in May or June. Sunscreen matters more than you expect — the UV index climbs well before the temperature does, and a 23.5°C April day at the Getty will burn you.

Summer (July–August). July's 29.4°C (84.9°F) is manageable; August's 33.2°C (91.8°F) is not, for long outdoor stretches. Pack breathable fabrics, a refillable water bottle, and a hat with a brim. Zero rainy days across both months means you can leave the rain gear at home entirely. Nights stay at 16.5–18.2°C (61.7–64.8°F), which is the one time of year an outdoor evening in Los Angeles is genuinely warm.

Autumn (September–October). September's 30.7°C (87.3°F) still runs hot, and its 25.2mm (0.99in) all fell on one day — a single system, not a pattern. October's 26.6°C (79.9°F) with cooler 14.3°C (57.7°F) nights is the most comfortable combination of the second half of the year. Layers, and a packable jacket for evenings.

Winter (November–February). Daytime highs never drop below 19.6°C (67.3°F) in any winter month, so this is mild by almost any standard. What you're managing is rain and night cold. January is the outlier: only 18.9mm (0.74in) on 2 days, but lows of 6.9C (44.4°F) — the coldest nights of the year and a 12.7°C (22.9°F) drop from the daytime high. February brings 76.0mm (3.0in) over 6 days. Waterproof shoes matter more than a heavy coat.

Month-by-month

• January — 19.6°C/6.9°C (67.3°F/44.4°F), 18.9mm (0.74in) on 2 days. Surprisingly dry for winter, but the coldest nights of the year.
• February — 20.0°C/9.2°C (68.0°F/48.6°F), 76.0mm (3.0in) on 6 days. Wet enough to reshape a short trip.
• March — 20.3°C/9.1°C (68.5°F/48.4°F), 62.8mm (2.47in) on 9 days. Most rain days of the year, but the lightest rain per day.
• April — 23.5°C/11.2°C (74.3°F/52.2°F), 8.4mm (0.33in) on 1 day. Best value month.
• May — 27.2°C/14.6°C (81.0°F/58.3°F), 1.5mm (0.06in) on 0 days. The best month overall.
• June — 28.5°C/15.8°C (83.3°F/60.4°F), 4.6mm (0.18in) on 1 day. Warm and dry; expect grey mornings at the coast.
• July — 29.4°C/16.5°C (84.9°F/61.7°F), 0.2mm (0.01in) on 0 days. Hot but workable.
• August — 33.2°C/18.2°C (91.8°F/64.8°F), 0.0mm on 0 days. The month to avoid for heat.
• September — 30.7°C/18.9°C (87.3°F/66.0°F), 25.2mm (0.99in) on 1 day. Still summer-hot; warmest nights of the year.
• October — 26.6°C/14.3°C (79.9°F/57.7°F), 58.7mm (2.31in) on 4 days. Excellent shoulder month.
• November — 21.8°C/11.9°C (71.2°F/53.4°F), 205.0mm (8.07in) on 7 days. Wettest month by a wide margin.
• December — 19.9°C/9.7°C (67.8°F/49.5°F), 165.4mm (6.51in) on 6 days. Mild days, heavy storms.

FAQ

What is the cheapest time to visit Los Angeles with decent weather?

April. It sits before the summer price increase and still delivers 23.5°C (74.3°F) days with only 8.4mm (0.33in) of rain on one day. March is cheaper again, and its 20.3°C (68.5°F) days are fine, but its 9 rainy days require flexible plans. Avoid the assumption that November is a bargain worth taking — 205.0mm (8.07in) of rain over 7 days is a real risk to a short trip.

Is August too hot to visit Los Angeles?

For theme parks, inland hikes, and long walking days, yes. 33.2°C (91.8°F) with 0.0mm of rain and no cloud break is punishing, and inland areas run hotter than these figures. For a coast-focused trip — Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu — August is workable because the ocean moderates temperatures near the water. Structure the day around it: coast in the afternoon, inland in the morning.

How much rain gear do I need for Los Angeles?

From May through September, essentially none — those five months together produced 31.5mm (1.24in) across 2 rainy days. From November through March, bring a packable waterproof jacket and shoes that handle puddles. November and December average 29mm and 27.6mm per rainy day respectively, which is heavy enough that an umbrella alone is not sufficient in wind.

Do I need a jacket in summer in Los Angeles?

A light one, yes. Even in the warmest months the overnight lows sit at 16.5–18.9°C (61.7–66.0°F), and the drop from a 29–33°C afternoon happens fast after sunset. Coastal evenings feel colder than the number suggests because of onshore wind. In spring and autumn the case is stronger — May nights fall to 14.6°C (58.3°F) and October nights to 14.3°C (57.7°F), which is jacket weather by most people's standards.