Made in SF with ❤️
San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate, though San Francisco weather is famously unpredictable, thanks to its unique microclimates. Despite its small size, the city’s topography and proximity to the ocean create a patchwork of weather patterns.
The western and southern parts of the city tend to be cooler and foggier, while the eastern and northern parts are usually warmer and sunnier. This tends to influence where people choose to live in the city as well. It can also affect what plants you can grow. Read more about gardening here.
The city’s hills can also affect the weather, creating pockets of cooler or warmer temperatures. This can act as a barrier to fog, making the western neighborhoods cooler and foggier than those to the east. People generally consider the “fog line” to be at Divisadero Street, though this isn’t necessarily accurate.
Due to these factors, San Francisco residents often joke that you can experience all four seasons in a single day even though San Francisco largely feels like it only has one season. It’s not uncommon to start the day with fog (called Karl the Fog by some), have sunshine and warmth by midday, and then cool off again in the evening. As a result, it is very much advisable to always bring a jacket if you are be planning to be out late.
Visiting San Francisco
If you are visiting San Francisco, please don’t mistakenly pack like you are going to Los Angeles and bring your cutest shorts and flip flops… only to freeze in San Francisco. Check the weather but note that it is usually fall or spring-like temperatures here. Good thing there’s a Uniqlo down jacket vending machine at SFO!
A Note on San Francisco Summer
In general, the city experiences cool summers. If you are in San Francisco during the summer, it will likely be downright cold, foggy, or pleasantly chilly depending on your preferences. Trying to watch fireworks on July 4th in San Francisco is fairly challenging, as fog generally rolls in and you get colorful fog at best. Recently, as most of the United States has been experiencing extremely hot weather, San Francisco has represented a welcome refuge and the city has actually used this as a tourism pitch! In fact, San Francisco has a late summer and is the most warm during September or October.
What Weather App to Use?
Weather apps are notoriously incorrect because of all of these fluctuations. Some local apps are Mr. Chilly or Karl. Check out the lovely interactive map from Fogust to see historical trends and click the ‘Fog Today’ section for more real time results. You can also look at webcams throughout the city to get a “real picture”.
In general, San Francisco residents and visitors should be advised to dress in layers and be prepared for a range of weather conditions, no matter what time of year.
