February Weather (Sunnyvale: deal, winter, year)

[jade408]

Originally Posted by tstieber

I would say that during clear weather patterns, the coast will be milder than inland that time of year. During rainy patterns, I'd say the coast is more blustery, and definitely windier.

The coast, not the Bay. places along the bay are generally less rainy and warmer during the winter.

[mayorhaggar]

The further you are from the coast, usually the warmer it will be in summer and the colder it will be in winter. But the difference in temps between SF and Walnut Creek will be bigger in summer than in winter. Also in the middle of the day it can warm up anywhere but at night the air is so dry here that it cools off a lot anywhere, summer and winter.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Almost no difference in sensible weather between Bay Area microclimates during the winter other than the following: The further inland the more likely there will be frost and Tule Fog. So in fact, SF will be warmer and clearer than SJ.

Also, higher elevations get more wind. When that combines with the normal coastal/wind/moisture patterns, like in the Burlingame hills, the results can be almost apocalyptic. I still remember the first time I drove through Hillsborough and saw the sky suddenly turn pitch black as I drove north on 280.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Jesse44

Thanks guys. I've been doing some more reading. If I want to hang out somewhere more likely to be sunnier and warmer, I should check out the areas around San Mateo and San Jose? Or does it really not make a difference by that point in the year?

It doesn't make much of a difference. I live in San Jose. It tends to be drier in February, only because the mountains between SJ and the coast tend to block some of the rain, but it's not necessariily any sunnier that time of year.

Winter afternoons tend to be (a little bit) warmer in San Jose, but winter nights are generally colder in SJ than in SF. The temperature and sunshine differences are much greater in summer.

[tstieber]

Yes, indeed. The farther from the coast (i.e. bay, then inland), the less rainy.

Originally Posted by jade408

The coast, not the Bay. places along the bay are generally less rainy and warmer during the winter.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by tstieber

Yes, indeed. The farther from the coast (i.e. bay, then inland), the less rainy.

The less rainfall in a given rain event, however in terms of cloud cover and numbers of days with precip the differences are unremarkable. What I describe here is the impact of local orographic effects, whereas, from the standpoint of mesoscale and greater structures, differences of a few miles inland or in latitude are minimal.

[80skeys]

I've got one year's worth of historical data I can share with you because we moved here last year!

Last year February was very rainy and chilly. By chilly I mean the lowest was probably 7-8 degrees F above freezing and then usually would warm up to the low 60s F during the day. The daytime temperatures are pleasant (light jacket, scarf) but the evening and early morning temps are rather chilly. Most people here wear gloves, coat, and wool cap.

I would say it feels neither dry nor humid, somewhere in between.

As for the rain, the way it was last year is it would rain for two or three days straight, and then there'd be several days of mixed sun and rain as various storms would blow in from the coast during the day. And then there might be a couple days without rain, but with clouds. It was fairly breezy at times - like clouds were being blown in from the west.

This year is different, though. It hasn't rained nearly as much so far.

[mayorhaggar]

Yeah it is bone dry so far this winter. At least it makes commuting way easier, but it certainly is unusual. I wouldn't be surprised to see a wet February though.

S.F. weather will be warm and dry for holidays

[BayAreaHillbilly]

We certainly won't beat the complete dry December of 1989 but we may not get much more this month. That would put this about the second or third driest ever.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

We certainly won't beat the complete dry December of 1989 but we may not get much more this month. That would put this about the second or third driest ever.

There is a lot of variation in rainfall in California from one year to the next, especially from the Bay Area and points south.