ERA5 almanac comparison — 8 years of real data
Laguna Beach vs Palm Springs Desert: weather in January
Palm Springs Desert edges out Laguna Beach for sun in January: 30% clear historically versus 14% (8-year ERA5 average, a 16-point gap). Both are viable — Palm Springs Desert is the safer bet.
What you are reading: 8-year historical averages, not a forecast.
Either destination can still surprise you this specific January. For this
week’s actual forecast, each destination links to its live page below.
Laguna Beach
CA
- Clear days, January
- 14%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 66°F
- Early January (1st–15th)
- 12%
- Late January (16th–end)
- 16%
Palm Springs Desert
CA
- Clear days, January
- 30%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 69°F
- Early January (1st–15th)
- 21%
- Late January (16th–end)
- 39%
- Rain frequency
- 11% of days
Compare Laguna Beach vs Palm Springs Desert in another month
All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.