San Francisco weather guide

California has a deserved reputation for beautiful sunny weather year-round and so you would be forgiven for expecting San Francisco to follow suit. However, San Francisco's weather is very hard to forecast and tends to live by its own rules. From season to season (none of which follow the general climatic expectations of elsewhere) tourists on their San Francisco holidays are likely to be surprised by the weather. Even from neighbourhood to neighbourhood you are likely to find drastically differing forecasts!

Springtime in San Francisco is generally a good time to visit. Temperatures are mild, the skies are clear and, especially in April and May, rain is rare.

The summer months of June to August have very little in common with summer months elsewhere. Characterised by white fog, which usually burns off by mid-afternoon, San Francisco's summers are generally cool and overcast compared to elsewhere, although rain is unlikely.

Autumn is probably the best time to visit San Francisco. Temperatures are generally higher than the summer months, the fog has cleared and rainfall remains rare. September is generally regarded as the warmest month of the year with temperatures averaging in the low 20's centigrade. Temperatures in the high 20's to low 30's are certainly not uncommon though.

There has only been snowfall once in San Francisco over the last 100 years and that was in 1976. Even during the coldest months of December and January, temperatures rarely plummet low enough for snow. Rain on the other hand is much more likely with December to February bringing anything from drizzle to downpours. It's generally milder than much of the rest of the US in winter though and when it's not raining it can often be quite nice and sunny.

Take a look at the table below for an average annual guide to the weather and temperatures before booking your cheap hotel in San Francisco: