San Francisco weather

[Patman]

The last couple of days I've noticed that San Fransciso's high temp is only forecasted at about 60 degrees, is that normal for there this time of year? I always thought it was much warmer there. Does anyone live there and how long has it been this cold there?

 

[Eric Peterman]

I live 3 hours north of SF (Mendocino coast/inland), but it is unseasonably cool for August. Normally in SF it would be in the 70-80 range this time of year with dips on foggy days into the 60's.

Here where I live, in early Aug normal temps would be 100 in the day. Now it's 80's.

 

[k1xv]

Mark Twain once remarked something to the effect that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

Not a warm place....weather is dominated by winds off the Pacific.

In the 1960s, Eric Burdon and the Animals had a song about "Warm San Francisco nights"....I don't think he ever spent very many nights there.

 

[Calvin]

I live across the Bay south of Oakland.It has been a bit cooler than normal here. We normally will get a heat wave in May...we got it in March , two weeks of 85 deg weather earlier than normal...then it cooled off and has stayed that way.... Normally our real summer heat happens in August and September into early October.

The waters of the Pacific Ocean around the Bay Area tend to be cold. Often times in the 40's F.This allows large fog banks to move inland overnight ( we call it Natures Air Conditioning )... with the typical winds that go from the ocean twords the inland areas.... When we do get the high pressure domes over the area the winds change direction and they go from the much hotter Central Valley and desert area and bring the hot interior air to the Bay Area... then it gets into the 90's to low 100's but normally low humidity during these hot spells.... then after 4 or 5 days of heat the high pressures will disipate or move off and this allows for a pressure differential that allows the ocean fogs to develope and draws the fogs back into the Bay Area.

A typical day has been fog developing overnight around 9.00 PM and temps in the 50's with the mornings haveing overcast skys untill approx 11 AM when much of the overcast burns off... then temps into the 60's to low 70's with approx 40 % humidity.... then around 9:00 PM the fogs are back.

We havent had any real high pressure domes hit us yet but it's supose to warm up some over the weekend.

The fogs can only reach so far inland due to the hills we have in the East Bay... From the East Bay east it gets much hotter than around the imediate Bay Area... In fact we have whats known as " Micro Climates " around here.... it can be 65 deg here and an hours drive and be 25 deg hotter.You can drive 10 minutes from my house and be 10 deg difference in temps during the summertime.

 

[moribundman]

I live right in San Francisco, and I barely ever wear a jacket here. Then again, I don't wear a jacket unless it's under 50 degrees.

Today was about 65, degree here, but it felt like 80, because it's humid like Hades (Censor that, ultimateboard!). Also was foggy along the coast, as it often is until November. Drive 30 miles up north or east, and you'll see 90 or 100 degree heat.

 

[pscholte]

moribundman...San Francisco...the Grateful Dead...I get it! You HAVE to have eaten Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia in their store at the corner of Haight and Ashbury...you just HAVE to have done that...please don't tell me you haven't...please?

 

[tom slick]

i live 4 hrs south of SF on the coast and the average temp in my town for any month (winter or summer) is 55*, but i can drive 1 hr away and will be 110*.
we get very similar weather to SF. the steep mountain ranges on the coast and the high pressure systems inland (san joaquin valley) tend to hold the cool air against the coast on the west side of the mountains. when the inland temps start to drop in late fall the high pressure systems start to go down and the cooler air starts to move inland, then it heats up on the coast and we'll get some toasty 85* days in october. the oddest thing is when you get an 80* day in january when everyone else is freezing.

 

[Calvin]

Ah yes ... proof of the California Micro Climates.
On more than a few occations Calif has had both the United States high and low temps in different places in the same day..... Might be 8 deg in Tahoe at night and 120 deg in Death Valley earlier that day !

 

[moribundman]

Hey Paul, finally someone GOT it!

I may have had some woodruff flavored Ben&Jerry's in the Haight. Does that count? I buy my ice-cream, specifically gelato, at a small local Italian shoppe. My favorite flavor is hazelnut in lieu of the rum-nut flavor (real rum!), which I can't get here.

When in San Francisco, have lunch at the Suppenküche. Their Sauerbraten isn't as good as mine, but it will help you curse in German.

 

[Patman]

What is the weather like in SF in the wintertime?

 

[moribundman]

Well, November and December can be rainy, but are generally mild. In January there might fall a tiny bit of snow on the higher mountains every other year. A few years ago it snowed downtown, but the snow melted before it hit the ground. Temps are usually 50s and 60 during daytime, but 70s are not uncommon. At night it can get close to freezing. In the winter we have less fog and often very clear skies with great sunsets. For someone like me, who's used to freezing Boston winters, SF is extremely mild, and I'd almost say you won't notice any seasons, they blend. It's comparable to a mediterranean climate.

 

[tom slick]

when people ask what our climate/weather/seasons are like i reply "boring". we really only have one season, it just gets a little colder some months, some months it rains, that's it. currently at night and in the morning i am still wearing a jacket.

for anyone who has never been to SF i highly reccomend it. it is one of the most interesting citys you'll ever visit.

 

[pscholte]

quote:

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Originally posted by moribundman:
I may have had some woodruff flavored Ben&Jerry's in the Haight. Does that count?

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Absolutely!

quote:

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I buy my ice-cream, specifically gelato, at a small local Italian shoppe. My favorite flavor is hazelnut in lieu of the rum-nut flavor (real rum!), which I can't get here.

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Ah gelato, wonderful stuff, right up there with the Green Elixer. Brings back memories of a little gelateria in Ostuni Italy...sigh

quote:

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When in San Francisco, have lunch at the Suppenküche. Their Sauerbraten isn't as good as mine, but it will help you curse in German.

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Thanks for the tip.

 

[pscholte]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
The last couple of days I've noticed that San Fransciso's high temp is only forecasted at about 60 degrees, is that normal for there this time of year? I always thought it was much warmer there. Does anyone live there and how long has it been this cold there?

---

Pat,

The City is a beautiful, exotic place but the hills are tough on autmobiles....you know...like...
T-O-U-G-H! (Definitely a place for the Elixer of Life and Lubricity...in fact, maybe instead of The City, San Francisco should be known as LubriCity!)

 

[moribundman]

quote:

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The City is a beautiful, exotic place but the hills are tough on autmobiles....you know...like...

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True, you should never buy a used car in the city. It's less because of bad brakes, those cars are weeded out quickly (Natural selection at work, Mola!), but it's because of warped torque converters and worn clutches. That said, you can avoid most hills, unless you live on one. I'm still on the first clutch, and I don't baby it at 130 k miles.

I second Slick's view that the lack of seasons is boring. I recommend trips into the Sierra as a quick cure, especially Yosemite and the Tahoe and Mammoth areas.

 

[k1xv]

When I was younger and even more irresponsible than I am now, I always thought about what it would be like to bring a couple of old bowling balls to San Francisco and let them go on the street from one of the high hills.

Of course, I would never really do it. Someone could get killed. But it would be interesting.

 

[pscholte]

quote:

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Originally posted by k1xv:
When I was younger and even more irresponsible than I am now, I always thought about what it would be like to bring a couple of old bowling balls to San Francisco and let them go on the street from one of the high hills.

Of course, I would never really do it. Someone could get killed. But it would be interesting.

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Ah, bowling by the Bay, an idyllic way to spend a summer afternoon...Hyde Street would be the place...I can see the people at the bottom of the hill now...

 

[moribundman]

Oh, we have the occasional runaway cable car.

http://www.ststp.com/Publicity/Articles/sf-chronicle-2003-04-20.jpg

 

[tom slick]

quote:

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I recommend trips into the Sierra as a quick cure, especially Yosemite and the Tahoe and Mammoth areas.

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the sierras are great! you can go just about anywhere, north or south in them and find great spots, especially if there are no tourists around.

 

[hannaco]

Sigh. Anymore that is harder to do. It seems that an endless stream of tourists pass in front of the house. Now, if I could just find a way to package fog and sell it.