Los Angeles Weather Update: Heavy Rain Now, Heatwave Next—Your Hour-by-Hour Forecast for Jan 22, 2026

Get Your Umbrellas Ready: Light Rain Returns to Los Angeles After a postcard-perfect start to the week, Los Angeles weather is shifting as a cool Pacific storm edges into Southern California. The National Weather Service says a deepening marine layer will lower temperatures and deliver spotty showers from Wednesday night through Friday, with most neighborhoods picking up 0.10"–0.25" of rain and mountain slopes locally seeing up to half an inch. Why This Rain Matters • Downtown L.A. has already logged more than 14 inches since October 1—triple the normal tally for this point in the season and the fourth-wettest start in 21 years. • Storm-soaked hillsides are still saturated; even light rain could trigger minor mud or debris flows near recent burn scars. • Snow levels stay high (5,000–7,000 ft), limiting accumulation to resort peaks but adding slick spots on mountain passes. Timeline at a Glance • Wednesday–Friday: Gray skies, patchy dense fog at the coast, daytime highs sliding into the low- to mid-60s. Isolated thunder can’t be ruled out Thursday afternoon. • Friday night: Showers taper as the low shifts toward northern Baja. • Weekend: High pressure rebuilds; sunshine returns and temperatures rebound into the lower 70s by Sunday. • Early next week: Santa Ana winds could gust 30–45 mph in Ventura and L.A. County canyons, pushing highs back above average. What LA Residents Should Do 1. Commute earlier: Morning drizzle and fog will slow traffic on the 405, 101 and 5 corridors. 2. Clear drains: Small amounts of leaf debris can clog gutters and aggravate street flooding. 3. Check flight status: Low clouds may cause delays at LAX and Hollywood Burbank until the marine layer lifts each afternoon. 4. Layer up: Wind-chill along the beaches will hover in the 50s; inland valleys will feel cooler than recent weeks. Surf & Beach Outlook A modest west-northwest swell keeps surf in the 3-5 ft range, but the incoming tide combined with runoff may raise bacteria counts near river mouths. Heal the Bay advises waiting 72 hours after rainfall before swimming. Looking Ahead Long-range models hint at a drier pattern through the end of January, yet El Niño-boosted moisture remains nearby in the Pacific. Forecasters caution that another atmospheric river could reload by early February, so Angelenos should keep rain gear handy and monitor daily updates from the National Weather Service. Bottom Line This week’s Los Angeles weather pattern offers a quick taste of winter—cooler air, light rain, and fog—before the familiar sunshine reclaims the basin. Use the lull to prep your home and yard, and you’ll stay ready for whatever February sends next.