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Info regarding California during winter

4K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  alex3000 
#1 ·
Hello everyone!

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this, if it isn't, I'm sorry!

Well, I'm planning a trip with a friend to California in january. Why january? Because it's both his and my vacation, and thus we have time to travel.

I would like to ask you people some questions, I hope you don't mind:

- How's the weather in january? We want to visit LA, SF, the cities in between and also possibly South Lake Tahoe, which I've read has snowfalls during the winter. I know it isn't as cold as it is in Northeastern, but does it rain a lot? Is it ok to drive from one city to another? Do you have any major problems with the roads during winter?

- Other than LA an SF, what cities would you recommend us to visit? We are also planning to visit Las Vegas aswell, so all the previous questions apply to it.

I really would appreciate if I could have some good info about all this, it's very important for our plans.

Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
You should visit San Diego, is not that far from Los Angeles, (around 2.5 hours) and you could have more fun than South lake Tahoe... And the weather in January is not that cold if you're coming from cold country, .. (like Canada, Northern Europe etc..) Usually it gets cold in the morning, around 35F degrees to 45F in Los Angeles, then it heats up to around 60 to 70 max, and it doesnt rain that much.. In some other places, like in the Mountains, the temp there get very cold, in the mid 20s. While traveling might be a little bit exhausted, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, I'm sure you wont get tired of seing that amazing environment that surrounds the I-5, you'll know what im talking about when u get to see Big Sur :drool:
 
#3 ·
Thanks, Corey!

We are brazilian and we only would choose California instead of Northeastern if we could manage to see some snow :p. Is that true what I said about South Lake Tahoe?
About the distances between one city and another, this won't be a problem, as he and I are going to drive, so.. we could drive even 1200km at once taking shifts.
 
#5 ·
If you want to see snow there is lots of it in January in the San Gabriel mountains in the Greater Los Angeles Area... you can go to Big Bear which is less than two hours from the City of Angels or take the Los Angeles Crest highway north of downtown LA and see snow in less than an hour...
Also if you want to go San Francisco I would rather travel the 101 instead of the I-5 it may take you a little longer but the scenery is just much more beautiful and there are many more towns in between that are worth visiting.
 
#6 ·
Thanks, CITYofDREAMS!
Tell me a little bit more about these San Gabriel mountains... is there any acommodation for tourists? How do we get there from LA, is there any bus line?
Big Bear is another city, right?
About these cities you mentioned which are worth visiting between LA an SF through the 101... can you list them?

I'm sorry if I'm asking too much questions, it's just I have no friends living in LA and I don't know anyone who have been there during the winter, so I'm kind of starting out from ground 0 here when it comes to planning the trip.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Hello everyone!

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this, if it isn't, I'm sorry!

Well, I'm planning a trip with a friend to California in january. Why january? Because it's both his and my vacation, and thus we have time to travel.

I would like to ask you people some questions, I hope you don't mind:

- How's the weather in january? We want to visit LA, SF, the cities in between and also possibly South Lake Tahoe, which I've read has snowfalls during the winter. I know it isn't as cold as it is in Northeastern, but does it rain a lot? Is it ok to drive from one city to another? Do you have any major problems with the roads during winter?
Winter temperatures in Southern California (Santa Barbara - Los Angeles - San Diego) aren't too cold compared to the rest of the country but you will need a sweater/ jacket and long sleeve shirts all day long. High's are usually in the low 60's and low temperatures are usually in the low 40's. When it gets "really" cold, highs are usually in the 50's and lows in the mid 30's. For the most part of the day, temperatures stay in mid 50's.

January is the month we probably get the most rain. It doesn't rain hard but when it does, it rains all day long. It isn't bad at all when you compare it to other cities, though. The wettest month in LA actually gets less precipitation than the driest month in NYC. :tongue3: Also, usually we get one whole week of non-stop rain but then it stops and it takes a few more weeks until we get rain again or sometimes it rains two days in a row, then we get sunshine the next four days, and then it rains another two days, and so on.

Also, you'll probably go to the beach (Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Long Beach, etc). The wind and humidity will make it feel a lot colder. So, trust me, you'll need a sweater and maybe a scarf and gloves, if you don't want your hands to get cold. Not necessarily needed but it all depends on how warm you want to be.

San Francisco does get colder (daytime average temperature in the low 50's/ high 40's) and it also gets more rain and is very windy. The first time I went to San Francisco was in December 2004, right after Christmas. It was raining but it wasn't intense. I was able to walk around and do sight seeing even though it was raining. The rain isn't too bad but, like I said, it is a lot colder/ windier than LA, so winter-clothing is a must!

So, basically: Yes, it rains and it does get cold. Bring your umbrella and winter clothes. The rain isn't too bad, so there are actual chances that you won't get to see rain but come prepared. If it does rain, it probably won't ruin your plans entirely.


- Other than LA an SF, what cities would you recommend us to visit? We are also planning to visit Las Vegas aswell, so all the previous questions apply to it.
You should definitely visit Las Vegas. Their winter weather is similar to SF and LA, just colder. I would recommend you go to Las Vegas (2-3 days) then Los Angeles (3-4 days), then stop by Santa Barbara and Solvang on your way from LA to SF (1 day), and then San Francisco (3-4 days).
 
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