What to Wear in Los Angeles
USA · 8 monthly packing guides
Los Angeles is casual-cool — effortless denim, sneakers, a vintage tee — with a red-carpet capacity when needed. The real style trap is the microclimate: you can leave Venice at 20°C / 68°F in a sweatshirt and arrive in Hollywood sweating through your tank top at 33°C / 91°F. Locals layer for the car, not the weather app.
Choose your month below to match your layers and shoes to the weather. Across the months covered, average daily lows reach 10°C / 50°F in January; average highs reach 30°C / 86°F in August.
Compare Los Angeles by month
Monthly averages help compare packing needs; check the forecast before departure. Only months with published guides are listed. See the source notes below for station and measurement differences. Scroll across the table to see all weather details on a small screen.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Rain days | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January packing guide | 10°C / 50°F | 19°C / 66°F | 6 | 10h 10m |
| May packing guide | 15°C / 59°F | 23°C / 73°F | 2 | 14h |
| June packing guide | 16°C / 61°F | 25°C / 77°F | 1 | 14h 30m |
| July packing guide | 18°C / 64°F | 28°C / 82°F | 0 | 14h 15m |
| August packing guide | 19°C / 66°F | 30°C / 86°F | 0 | 13h 30m |
| October packing guide | 15°C / 59°F | 24°C / 75°F | 2 | 11h 10m |
| November packing guide | 12°C / 54°F | 21°C / 70°F | 3 | 10h 25m |
| December packing guide | 10°C / 50°F | 19°C / 66°F | 5 | 9h 55m |
Choose your Los Angeles packing list
Los Angeles in January: 19°C / 66°F afternoons, 10°C / 50°F nights, about 6 rain days in the second-wettest month, and a flea market that runs rain or shine.
In this capsule: Black hooded rain coat, knee length; Wine merino crew; Oversized white pinstripe shirt, two chest pockets.
LA in May: 23°C / 73°F afternoons, 15°C / 59°F mornings, <2 rain days — 'May Gray' marine layer burns off by noon.
In this capsule: Lightweight denim or a vintage leather jacket; Well-fitted white or cream tee; Straight or wide-leg jeans.
LA in June is June Gloom: 25°C / 77°F afternoons, 16°C / 61°F mornings — coastal overcast until noon, inland already at 29°C / 84°F+.
In this capsule: Oversized pale-blue striped shirt; Cream square-neck linen tank; Black lightweight cotton tee.
LA in July is effectively rainless: 28°C / 82°F afternoons, 18°C / 64°F mornings. Coastal stays cool; Valley pushes 38°C / 100°F.
In this capsule: Cognac linen cutout midi dress; White ribbed cotton tank; Black lightweight knit tee.
LA in August: 30°C / 86°F afternoons, 19°C / 66°F mornings, 0 rain days — peak summer, fire-season-adjacent, microclimate gap at its widest.
In this capsule: White short-sleeve tiered fringe midi dress; Light grey cropped ribbed cotton tank; Deep olive wide-leg trousers.
Los Angeles in October: 24°C / 75°F afternoons, 15°C / 59°F nights, 2 rain days — and warmer than June, because June Gloom is real.
In this capsule: Black leather biker jacket, asymmetric zip; Black lightweight cotton tee, boxy cut; Lichen green wide-leg linen trousers, drawstring waist.
Los Angeles in November: 21°C / 70°F afternoons, 12°C / 54°F nights, 3 rain days — and Santa Ana winds that make the average a poor guide.
In this capsule: Sand cotton chore jacket; Charcoal fine-gauge cotton knit; Plain white cotton tee.
Los Angeles in December: 19°C / 66°F afternoons, 10°C / 50°F nights, about 5 rain days, and nearly three times November's rain.
In this capsule: Camel packable belted trench, knee length; Light grey crew-neck sweater, sweatshirt weight; Charcoal cotton tee.
Climate sources by month
These credits follow the source recorded on each monthly guide. Climate figures inform the packing advice; outfit combinations and illustrations are editorial suggestions.
- January: NOAA · Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) · 1991–2020 normals
- May: NOAA · Downtown / Dodger Stadium · 1991–2020 normals
- June: NOAA · Downtown / Dodger Stadium · 1991–2020 normals
- July: NOAA · Downtown / Dodger Stadium · 1991–2020 normals
- August: NOAA · Downtown / Dodger Stadium · 1991–2020 normals
- October: NOAA · Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) · 1991–2020 normals
- November: NOAA · Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) · 1991–2020 normals
- December: NOAA · Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) · 1991–2020 normals
Frequently asked questions
Start with your travel month. The 8 published guides cover January, May, June, July, August, October, November, December. Compare the average low as well as the high: among these months, January has the lowest average low at 10°C / 50°F, while August has the highest average high at 30°C / 86°F. For a trip spanning two months, read both lists before deciding which layers to bring.
No. They are monthly climate averages for planning, not temperatures promised for a particular day or hour. Check the local forecast close to departure and adjust your layers and rain protection. The source, station and averaging period are listed for each month where recorded; different stations or rain-day definitions can affect comparisons.
No. Treat the capsule as a set of clothing functions: walking shoes, a base outfit, weather protection and any change for dinner or a venue's dress code. Start with equivalents you own. Adjust quantities to your trip length and laundry access; the illustrations are outfit suggestions, not a shopping requirement.