Honestly, if you've spent more than a week in Davis during the winter, you know the vibe. One day you’re walking through the Arboretum in a light sweater, and the next, you’re trapped in a "Tule fog" so thick you can't see the bike path five feet in front of you. It's weird.
People look at the davis 10 day forecast and see a string of 60-degree days and think, "Oh, nice, spring is coming early." But that’s usually a trap. January in Yolo County is less about the temperature and more about the moisture, the lack of sun, and that biting dampness that settles into your bones the moment the sun dips behind the Coast Range.
Right now, as we hit the middle of January 2026, the data is telling a pretty specific story. We are coming off a wild start to the year where heavy rains actually managed to knock California off the drought map for the first time in a quarter-century. That’s huge. But it also means the ground is saturated, the humidity is pegged at nearly 100% most nights, and the "real feel" is a lot colder than the thermometer suggests.
Breaking Down the Davis 10 Day Forecast
If you’re planning your week, here is the actual breakdown of what's hitting the 95616 and 95618 zip codes over the next ten days.
The immediate outlook for the rest of this week—specifically Thursday, January 15, through Saturday, January 17—is looking surprisingly crisp. We are seeing daytime highs hovering around 63°F, which is actually a few degrees above the historical average of 54°F. It sounds great, but don't get cocky. The overnight lows are still dipping into the 30s.
Basically, it's "on-and-off jacket" weather.
The Mid-Week Shift
By Sunday and Monday (Jan 18-19), the ridge of high pressure starts to wobble. You'll notice more cloud cover moving in. We’re looking at:
- Sunday: Partly sunny with a high of 61°F.
- Monday: Mostly cloudy, highs dropping to 59°F.
- Precipitation: The chance of rain stays low (around 10%), but the humidity is going to make it feel "soupy."
The Late-Week Reality Check
As we move toward the end of the 10-day window, around January 22 and 23, things get a bit more "classic Davis." We are seeing an increase in moisture. While a major atmospheric river isn't currently on the dartboard for this specific week, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is active in the Pacific. For those who aren't weather nerds: that basically means the "convective phase" is moving our way.
Expect a slight dip in temps to the high 50s and a much higher chance of those annoying, misty morning drizzles that make the roads slick for commuters heading toward Sacramento.
Why the "Average" Temperature is a Lie
The city’s official weather stations, like the one managed by the UC Davis Atmospheric Science department, often record January averages around 46°F. But that's a mean. In reality, Davis weather is a game of extremes.
In a single 24-hour period, you can experience a 30-degree swing. Today, for instance, we saw a high of 59°F and a low of 35°F. If you leave the house at 7:30 AM in what you wore at 2:00 PM yesterday, you're going to have a bad time.
Then there's the fog.
The Tule fog is famous for a reason. It forms when the damp ground (thanks to those early Jan rains) meets the cold night air under clear skies. It creates a thermal inversion that traps cold air at the surface. So, while the davis 10 day forecast might say "Sunny," you might spend the first six hours of your day in a gray void.
What This Means for Local Agriculture
Davis isn't just a college town; it’s the brain of California’s ag industry. This weather matters for more than just your outfit choice.
Our local nut growers—the folks with the massive walnut and pistachio orchards out toward Winters and Dixon—actually want it to be cold. They need something called "chill hours." Deciduous trees need to go dormant to produce a good crop. If the 10-day forecast stays too warm (in the 60s), the trees don't "sleep" properly.
Experts like Dr. Minghua Zhang from UC Davis have been pointing out for years that our "safe winter chill" is declining. A warm January forecast is actually bad news for the local economy. It leads to uneven flowering and, eventually, lower yields at the farm stands we all love.
Survival Tips for the Next 10 Days
Since the forecast is looking relatively dry but chilly at night, here is how to actually handle it:
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- Check the Dew Point, Not the Temp: If the dew point is close to the air temperature, expect fog. Give yourself an extra 10 minutes for your commute on I-80.
- Layer Like a Pro: Cotton is your enemy when it's 98% humidity. Stick to wool or synthetics if you're biking across campus.
- Watch the Wind: Friday, Jan 23, is looking breezy with north winds hitting 12 mph. That will make a 58-degree day feel like 50.
- Gardeners Beware: Even if the afternoon feels like spring, the ground is still cold. Don't start your tomatoes yet. Soil temperatures at 10cm are currently sitting around 48°F. That’s way too cold for most starts.
While we are officially "out of the drought" as of January 2026, the water table is still recovering. Enjoy the sun while it's here, but keep the umbrella in the trunk. The Pacific is currently in a La Niña pattern, which usually means "drier and warmer," but as we saw last week, it only takes one rogue low-pressure system to turn Russell Blvd into a river.
Stay dry, keep your lights on in the fog, and remember that a 60-degree forecast in Davis is always a suggestion, never a promise.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep an eye on the overnight lows for January 22nd; if the sky clears, we may see a localized frost that could nip any early-blooming landscape plants. Ensure any sensitive outdoor succulents are covered or moved under an eave by mid-week to avoid moisture rot from the high humidity.