How often does SF get a good storm? (San Diego, San Francisco: live, suburbs)

[ComfortablyNumb]

I posted this in the San Diego forum too. Trying to decide where I'd be happier.

It looks like SD never gets storms. I can deal with it because they have that warm sun without the and the temperature rarely goes above 80 or below 60.

How about San Francisco too? Is it mainly depressing, drippy Seattle rain? Or does it even get its ass kicked by a good thunderstorm?

[DMenscha]

The SF Bay area has fewer thunderstorms than any other place in the US. It doesn't get Seattle Rain. I lived in western WA for nine lonnnng years. Most rain in the SF Bay area comes between Nov 15 and March 30 and is a product of storms originating in the Gulf of Alaska. They're soakers usually producing a good 2 or more days of solid rain then a couple of days of showers after the cold front passes through.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by ComfortablyNumb

I posted this in the San Diego forum too. Trying to decide where I'd be happier.

It looks like SD never gets storms. I can deal with it because they have that warm sun without the and the temperature rarely goes above 80 or below 60.

How about San Francisco too? Is it mainly depressing, drippy Seattle rain? Or does it even get its ass kicked by a good thunderstorm?

Thunder and lightning are such rare occurances they are usually front page news.

I do hear thunder more than we see lightning.

But a good kick ass thunderstorm, the likes I remember from PA?

Nope. I would say our weather systems run too fast to have an afternoon of thunder bumpers.

[18Montclair]

Strong Storms are very rare in the Bay Area and it seems SoCal is far more prone to urban flooding as a result of monsoonal moisture.

[ImRandy]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Nope. I would say our weather systems run too fast to have an afternoon of thunder bumpers.

I don't think speed plays a major role. Thanks to the ocean we just don't usually have the heat and humidity necessary to cause your typical thunderstorm.

[fizbin]

Originally Posted by ImRandy

Thanks to the ocean we just don't usually have the heat and humidity necessary to cause your typical thunderstorm.

Which to an extent it too bad. The weather highlight of my two years in TN were the thunder and lightening storms.

[WannaBNorCal]

Originally Posted by fizbin

The weather highlight of my two years in TN were the thunder and lightening storms.

Yep my highlights too - Milton Freewater's, Oregon monsoons rocked!!!

[richzip]

Frequent thunderstorms are the one and only thing I'll miss when I mvoe from Dallas to San Francisco

[mysticaltyger]

It rains more in SF than in SD but less than in Seattle. I don't think any of the 3 cities has much in the way of thunderstorms. The cool West Coast climate doesn't have enough heat to produce summer thunderstorms.

SF averages 67 days of rain per year, compared with 43 for SD and 154 for Seattle.

Sunshine:

The sun shines 68% of the time in SD (probably somewhat more than that in the inland suburbs)
45 % of the time in Seattle
And it varies quite a bit in SF. The sun shines 58% of the time in SF on the ocean side but 66% of the time near the bay.

[Dara]

SF gets rain in winter, and blowing chilly fog in summer. Sun comes in microclimates in different districts. Closer to ocean you live, the colder and grayer it is. IT has its share of winter rain that can last for wks. Its never over 75 tops there. I 'm a native who moved to north bay, sonoma county. Summer has 25 degrees higher temps than SF, out door pools, pleasant long dry heat days, and no damp blowing wet fog, or no place to park, or tons of hills, crowds and waiting in line... sonoma county is a whole different far more pleasant world and friendly as can be. I love it here. Been here 3 yrs this feb. Dont miss SF a bit, and had grown up there all my life.