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Old 10-23-2012, 05:16 PM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,588 posts, read 27,387,426 times
Reputation: 9059

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Quote:
Originally Posted by skyway31 View Post
When I first moved to CA from Florida in 2002, I learned this the hard way! I saw rainfall averages in the spring and summer of less than an inch per month and concluded it was sunny all the time. Woops! So I ended up studying the coastal stratus phenomena ever since. There are so many nuances to it!
The stratus plays little in our rainfall as it will only produce a couple of hundredths of an inch at most. Look for rainfall between October and April with the main bulk in Dec, Jan and Feb. Some years it can rain as early as Sep or as late as May. What is true is that rainfall, like the marine is influenced by the topography. West facing slopes usually receiving more. The vegetarian on the hillsides would suggest otherwise but this has to do with the prevailing westerly wind which blows the soil away so those western slopes are more barren appearing more arid than they really are. Again so many little factors of why one areas weather can seem so different from neighboring areas. That wind which bloas away that soil so trees can't grow in those areas effects the weather as the presence of trees also can effect a microclimate.
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Old 10-24-2012, 02:51 PM
 
Location: KKKalfornia
493 posts, read 783,230 times
Reputation: 277
LOL @ "sunny" san francisco. san francisco has great weather if youre a seagull or a seal. great place to fly kites too.

the best weather in san francisco city limits is on the east side of yerba buena island. its in the lee of the island so while just over the hill treasure island is its normal sea sprayed wind blown self, YBI feels much warmer being protected from the wind.

but unlike most of SF it cant be "bought", the only way to enjoy it is to do like i did and enlist in the united states coast guard and end up getting stationed there.
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Old 10-24-2012, 03:16 PM
 
1,882 posts, read 3,110,997 times
Reputation: 1411
Quote:
Originally Posted by CousinMaynard View Post
LOL @ "sunny" san francisco. san francisco has great weather if youre a seagull or a seal. great place to fly kites too.

the best weather in san francisco city limits is on the east side of yerba buena island. its in the lee of the island so while just over the hill treasure island is its normal sea sprayed wind blown self, YBI feels much warmer being protected from the wind.

but unlike most of SF it cant be "bought", the only way to enjoy it is to do like i did and enlist in the united states coast guard and end up getting stationed there.
I suppose when some people think of "sunny", they also think of balmy and warm. But they're mistaken. Sunny means the sun is shining and skies are mostly blue. The eastern part of SF is exactly that. But it is not balmy or warm.
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Old 10-24-2012, 03:57 PM
 
Location: KKKalfornia
493 posts, read 783,230 times
Reputation: 277
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyway31 View Post
I suppose when some people think of "sunny", they also think of balmy and warm. But they're mistaken. Sunny means the sun is shining and skies are mostly blue. The eastern part of SF is exactly that. But it is not balmy or warm.

ugg, not a fan of "quoters" putting words in my mouth

i didnt say that sf never sees the sun. the op was curious how us locals characterized sf weather and asked us to compare it. anybody who thinks any part of sf is sunny compared to other cities here, it might be time to cross a bridge
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Old 10-24-2012, 03:59 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
9,197 posts, read 16,841,346 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skyway31 View Post
I suppose when some people think of "sunny", they also think of balmy and warm. But they're mistaken. Sunny means the sun is shining and skies are mostly blue. The eastern part of SF is exactly that. But it is not balmy or warm.
It's sunny in Alaska, too.
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Old 10-24-2012, 05:13 PM
 
Location: Bay Area
28 posts, read 49,572 times
Reputation: 36
I would definitely consider it more of a sunny place than a rainy place.
But when I close my eyes and imagine a sunny place, SF is hardly what comes to mind. Not really a place you live if you want to be getting a nice beach tan. But also not a place where you need to have an umbrella. I mean technically, the sun does penetrate through the clouds and fog and reach my skin.
I would say it is neither "rainy" nor "sunny". We get our fair share of rain, however, so don't misinterpret my comment about it being "more sunny".
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Old 10-24-2012, 06:56 PM
 
1,882 posts, read 3,110,997 times
Reputation: 1411
Quote:
Originally Posted by CousinMaynard View Post
ugg, not a fan of "quoters" putting words in my mouth

i didnt say that sf never sees the sun. the op was curious how us locals characterized sf weather and asked us to compare it. anybody who thinks any part of sf is sunny compared to other cities here, it might be time to cross a bridge
Other cities "here"? As in within the Bay area? That's totally different than what the OP was asking. The eastern part of SF is sunny by most any standards. But if, unlike the OP, you are limiting the discussion to only the Bay area, then I can agree.
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Old 10-24-2012, 06:57 PM
 
1,882 posts, read 3,110,997 times
Reputation: 1411
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdumbgod View Post
It's sunny in Alaska, too.
Haven't studied Alaska, so I wouldn't know. Although the winter months when it's dark most of the days, it ain't sunny!
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Old 10-25-2012, 12:47 PM
rah
 
Location: Oakland
3,314 posts, read 9,237,301 times
Reputation: 2538
Quote:
Originally Posted by CousinMaynard View Post
LOL @ "sunny" san francisco.


Cities by percentage of the day that sun hits the ground:

Phoenix - 85%
Las Vegas - 85%
Sacramento - 78%
Los Angeles - 73%
Miami - 70%
Denver - 69%
Oklahoma City - 68%
San Diego - 68%
San Francisco - 66%
Salt Lake City - 66%
Tampa - 66%
Memphis - 64%
Jacksonville - 63%
Richmond - 63%
Charlotte - 62%
Dallas - 61%
Atlanta - 60%
Austin - 60%
Kansas City - 60%
San Antonio - 60%
Virginia Beach - 60%
Houston - 59%
Birmingham - 58%
Boston - 58%
Minneapolis - 58%
New York - 58%
Providence - 58%
Raleigh - 58%
Baltimore - 57%
New Orleans - 57%
St. Louis - 57%
Hartford - 56%
Louisville - 56%
Nashville - 56%
Philadelphia - 56%
Washington DC - 56%
Indianapolis - 55%
Chicago - 54%
Milwaukee - 54%
Detroit - 53%
Rochester - 51%
Cincinnati - 50%
Columbus - 50%
Cleveland - 49%
Buffalo - 48%
Portland - 48%
Seattle - 47%
Pittsburgh - 45%

Cities by average sunshine hours per year:

Phoenix - 3872
Las Vegas - 3825
Sacramento - 3608
Los Angeles - 3348
Miami - 3154
Denver - 3107
Oklahoma City - 3089
San Diego - 3055
San Francisco - 3037
Salt Lake City - 3029
Tampa - 2927
Memphis - 2888
Jacksonville - 2880
Dallas - 2850
Richmond - 2829
Charlotte - 2821
Kansas City - 2810
Atlanta - 2738
Minneapolis - 2711
Virginia Beach - 2695
New Orleans - 2649
Austin - 2644
Birmingham - 2641
Boston - 2634
San Antonio - 2629
Raleigh - 2606
Providence - 2606
St. Louis - 2594
Hartford - 2585
Baltimore - 2582
Houston - 2578
New York - 2535
Washington DC - 2528
Louisville - 2514
Nashville - 2510
Chicago - 2508
Philadelphia - 2498
Milwaukee - 2484
Indianapolis - 2440
Detroit - 2436
Portland - 2341
Cincinnati - 2335
Rochester - 2298
Cleveland - 2280
Buffalo - 2207
Columbus - 2183
Seattle - 2170
Pittsburgh - 2021

Cities by number of clear days (where cloud cover is at 30% or less):

Phoenix - 211
Las Vegas - 210
Sacramento - 188
San Francisco - 160
Los Angeles - 147
San Diego - 146
Oklahoma City - 139
Dallas - 135
Salt Lake City - 125
Kansas City - 120
Memphis - 118
Denver - 115
Austin - 115
Raleigh - 111
Atlanta - 110
Charlotte - 109
New York - 107
Virginia Beach - 106
San Antonio - 105
Baltimore - 105
Nashville - 102
Tampa - 101
New Orleans - 101
St. Louis - 101
Richmond - 100
Birmingham - 99
Boston - 98
Providence - 98
Washington DC - 96
Minneapolis - 95
Jacksonville - 94
Louisville - 93
Philadelphia - 93
Milwaukee - 90
Houston - 90
Indianapolis - 88
Chicago - 84
Hartford - 82
Cincinnati - 81
Detroit - 75
Miami - 74
Columbus - 72
Portland - 68
Cleveland - 66
Rochester - 61
Pittsburgh - 59
Seattle - 58
Buffalo - 54

So if SF's not sunny, than what exactly are those dozens of cities like that get even less sun than SF? Mordor? Hell? The dark side of the moon?

The truth is, SF is a pretty sunny place, and gets more sun than the majority of American cities. Those lists seems to prove that people who think SF is not sunny are just caught up in stereotypes and/or have the dumb idea that "hot weather" is synonymous with "sunny weather". If you want to find the parts of America that are ACTUALLY on the low side for sunshine, try parts of the midwest, new england, and the northwest...but not California.
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Old 10-25-2012, 02:04 PM
 
1,882 posts, read 3,110,997 times
Reputation: 1411
Quote:
Originally Posted by rah View Post


Cities by percentage of the day that sun hits the ground:

Phoenix - 85%
Las Vegas - 85%
Sacramento - 78%
Los Angeles - 73%
Miami - 70%
Denver - 69%
Oklahoma City - 68%
San Diego - 68%
San Francisco - 66%
Salt Lake City - 66%
Tampa - 66%
Memphis - 64%
Jacksonville - 63%
Richmond - 63%
Charlotte - 62%
Dallas - 61%
Atlanta - 60%
Austin - 60%
Kansas City - 60%
San Antonio - 60%
Virginia Beach - 60%
Houston - 59%
Birmingham - 58%
Boston - 58%
Minneapolis - 58%
New York - 58%
Providence - 58%
Raleigh - 58%
Baltimore - 57%
New Orleans - 57%
St. Louis - 57%
Hartford - 56%
Louisville - 56%
Nashville - 56%
Philadelphia - 56%
Washington DC - 56%
Indianapolis - 55%
Chicago - 54%
Milwaukee - 54%
Detroit - 53%
Rochester - 51%
Cincinnati - 50%
Columbus - 50%
Cleveland - 49%
Buffalo - 48%
Portland - 48%
Seattle - 47%
Pittsburgh - 45%

Cities by average sunshine hours per year:

Phoenix - 3872
Las Vegas - 3825
Sacramento - 3608
Los Angeles - 3348
Miami - 3154
Denver - 3107
Oklahoma City - 3089
San Diego - 3055
San Francisco - 3037
Salt Lake City - 3029
Tampa - 2927
Memphis - 2888
Jacksonville - 2880
Dallas - 2850
Richmond - 2829
Charlotte - 2821
Kansas City - 2810
Atlanta - 2738
Minneapolis - 2711
Virginia Beach - 2695
New Orleans - 2649
Austin - 2644
Birmingham - 2641
Boston - 2634
San Antonio - 2629
Raleigh - 2606
Providence - 2606
St. Louis - 2594
Hartford - 2585
Baltimore - 2582
Houston - 2578
New York - 2535
Washington DC - 2528
Louisville - 2514
Nashville - 2510
Chicago - 2508
Philadelphia - 2498
Milwaukee - 2484
Indianapolis - 2440
Detroit - 2436
Portland - 2341
Cincinnati - 2335
Rochester - 2298
Cleveland - 2280
Buffalo - 2207
Columbus - 2183
Seattle - 2170
Pittsburgh - 2021

Cities by number of clear days (where cloud cover is at 30% or less):

Phoenix - 211
Las Vegas - 210
Sacramento - 188
San Francisco - 160
Los Angeles - 147
San Diego - 146
Oklahoma City - 139
Dallas - 135
Salt Lake City - 125
Kansas City - 120
Memphis - 118
Denver - 115
Austin - 115
Raleigh - 111
Atlanta - 110
Charlotte - 109
New York - 107
Virginia Beach - 106
San Antonio - 105
Baltimore - 105
Nashville - 102
Tampa - 101
New Orleans - 101
St. Louis - 101
Richmond - 100
Birmingham - 99
Boston - 98
Providence - 98
Washington DC - 96
Minneapolis - 95
Jacksonville - 94
Louisville - 93
Philadelphia - 93
Milwaukee - 90
Houston - 90
Indianapolis - 88
Chicago - 84
Hartford - 82
Cincinnati - 81
Detroit - 75
Miami - 74
Columbus - 72
Portland - 68
Cleveland - 66
Rochester - 61
Pittsburgh - 59
Seattle - 58
Buffalo - 54

So if SF's not sunny, than what exactly are those dozens of cities like that get even less sun than SF? Mordor? Hell? The dark side of the moon?

The truth is, SF is a pretty sunny place, and gets more sun than the majority of American cities. Those lists seems to prove that people who think SF is not sunny are just caught up in stereotypes and/or have the dumb idea that "hot weather" is synonymous with "sunny weather". If you want to find the parts of America that are ACTUALLY on the low side for sunshine, try parts of the midwest, new england, and the northwest...but not California.
Number of clear days:
SF at 160
Miami at 75

I would bet my left limb that the guy who was laughing can not fathom this...
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