California weather
Loading live data…Latest for California: European (ECMWF): 17° Clear · American (NOAA GFS): 16° Clear · German (DWD ICON): 17° Clear.
The weather map: all three models at once
European, American, German side by side around California and nearby towns.Live rain radar →Hourly forecast: next 14 hours
consensus of the three modelsRain in the next 24 hours, model by model
each model's own hourly precipitation, side by sideLoading the three models…
10-day forecast, out to 14 days
where the models agree, and where they splitHeading to California? California, USA, sits at 34.1°N in a subtropical climate zone. The averages on this page are measured at Los Angeles, the main gateway for CA travellers; inland and mountain areas run cooler. Before you lock in outdoor plans, compare how the three global models - European (ECMWF), American (GFS) and German (ICON) - forecast California right now. Where they agree you can trust it; the days they split are exactly when a single weather app is least reliable. For a city break, the rain hours below tell you which days to plan indoors.
Where to go in California
We cover 30 destinations in California, each with its own live three-model comparison and long-run averages. The table shows the typical daytime high in January and July and the wettest month, so you can see how much the coast, the cities and the islands differ before you pick dates.
Best time to visit California
The most comfortable time to visit California is usually January, March, April and May, when daytime highs sit in the pleasant 16-26°C range and the heaviest February rain is behind you.
California weather by month
what to expect in California through the year, 1991-2020 normals, Burbank Glendale Pasadena AP (WMO)Here is California's typical weather in each month: the average daytime high and overnight low in °C, how each month feels, and the wettest month marked. Use it to plan any trip to California by season.
California compared with Toronto
30-year averages: daytime highs month by month, rain and sunlightWarmer through the year
average daytime high: California 24°C, Toronto 14°C
Rain over a year
California 353 mm, Toronto 924 mm
Sunlight vs a clear sky
solar energy reaching the ground as a share of a cloudless day, averaged over the year (not sunshine hours)
On 30-year averages California runs 10°C warmer than Toronto, with every month between +3°C and +19°C. Over a year it gets 62% less rain than Toronto.
Month by month in numbers
| Month | California | Toronto | Difference | Sunlight, California | Sunlight, Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°C | 0°C | +19°C | 83% | 56% |
| February | 19°C | 1°C | +18°C | 82% | 57% |
| March | 21°C | 5°C | +16°C | 85% | 64% |
| April | 23°C | 12°C | +11°C | 87% | 67% |
| May | 24°C | 19°C | +5°C | 89% | 72% |
| June | 27°C | 24°C | +3°C | 93% | 76% |
| July | 30°C | 27°C | +3°C | 95% | 79% |
| August | 32°C | 26°C | +6°C | 97% | 79% |
| September | 30°C | 22°C | +8°C | 95% | 76% |
| October | 26°C | 15°C | +11°C | 91% | 63% |
| November | 22°C | 8°C | +14°C | 88% | 60% |
| December | 19°C | 3°C | +16°C | 83% | 54% |
Daytime highs and lows on this page are 1991-2020 averages. California: station normals from Burbank Glendale Pasadena AP (WMO), rain included. Toronto: station normals from Toronto City (WMO); rain is the CHELSA 1981-2010 climatology on a 1 km grid. Sunlight vs a clear sky is NASA POWER's long-term average of the solar energy reaching the ground as a share of a cloudless day; it compares cloudiness and is not a count of sunshine hours. Toronto stands in for Canada here; other cities have their own climate tables.