San Diego VS San Francisco Weather (best weather, average, winters)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

San Diego = the south edge of the true Mediterranean climate zone, northern edge of the Fog Desert zone, about 9" - 10" of rain per year.

SF = core Mediterranean, 20" of rain per year. Still plenty of coastal overcast (aka "fog" - not real fog but up a few hundred feet, really low clouds, not fog) but the "fog season" is not as long as SD.

SD has less wind, and the "fog" is not as cold as the "fog" in SF.

[cityx]

Costal San Diego definitely has a warmer (perhaps stagnant) weather pattern in the summer. Definitely not much wind compared to Encinitas/Oceanside and certainly not like the breezy beach towns farther north like Huntington Beach or Malibu. I love San Diego weather but it would sure be nice to get cool evening breezes.
Likely we get a lot of shielding from the bay and the peninsula.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Overall, in the grand scheme of things the weather between the two cities only has slight differences. Honestly the biggest difference is that SD is drier than SF and rainfall is more erratic. Summer is the time of year when the biggest differences can be felt, especially late summer. San Diego is prone to humidity and at times some rain from the monsoon. SD, like SF also has a fog belt, narrower than SF's but it's definitely present. La Jolla and Torrey Pines can be quite foggy at times

SD's coast is never quite as cold as SF's in summer. Sorry 04kL4nD but it's never in the 50's anywhere in SD in summer. Maybe mid 60's. The coastal temperatures are related to the water temperatures and San Diego has distinctly warmer water in summer which leads to a milder, less bone chilling breeze. Having lives many years in Mission Valley, I can say that it can get downright hot! The area around Qualcomm Stadium is about as hot as Santee in summer. Overall, San Francisco's (and the Bay Area as a whole) microclimates are much more pronounces and contrasting than in San Diego

Great descriptions - all add the wind speed, rainfall totals, and summer/autumn ocean temps is what sets the two cities apart, and the Bay Area's varied, diverse and numerous microclimates compared to San Diego.

It's only been in the last few years that I have been analyzing historical data and tracking current data regarding the SF Bay Area-Sacramento microclimates.

[Chimérique]

A few key differences.

After you become acclimatized to San Diego, you will be much more sensitive to any type of “cold” weather, anything below 55 degrees. Also, San Diegans can tolerant a hot day and or muggy day much more so than a San Franciscan. San Franciscans absolutely cannot not tolerant anything above 75 degrees for more than 30 minutes, they freak out and complain.

After you become acclimatized to San Francisco(the City), you will be much more sensitive to any type of “warm-hot” weather, that means anything above 70 degrees. San Franciscans can tolerate long cold (40‘s) very wet days for several days compared to San Diegans.

San Franciscans don’t freak out, when it rains.

In the winter, San Franciscans expect wet, cloudy and mildly-cold. San Diegans never really get used to any consistent rainy pattern, nor mildly-cold days and they freak out when it rains.

Your average San Diegans goes in the ocean a 100 times more often than your average San Franciscan.

[sacite]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

True, but that only supports Nightlysparrow's point. That 71 average high for SF is skewed higher by a few warm/hot days bringing up the average. Indeed, the "median" high temperature for SF in September would be lower than 71.

What is your agenda with trying to convince everyone that 60-70 degrees is "freezing"? My apartment set st 68 degrees at night. That is about ideal IMO. If I could get 70 degrees all summer long I'd take it in a heartbeat.

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

This is true...but be warned....month after month of temperatures only reaching the mid to low 60s (especially in July and August) can really wear on a lot of people after a couple of years. Some people really do thrive in this kind of weather, but a lot of other people merely tolerate it and some grow to hate it.

I thrive in SF weather. I love cool, crisp weather, and SF has plenty of it. Sweater weather, to me, is optimal. I live in So.Cal (Cerritos), and the summers here are too long and too hot (for me). When I go to San Francisco, I feel exhilarated by the cool, crisp evenings, the fog, the wind. Coastal So. Cal ( Long Beach, Redondo, Santa Monica) is not bad, but those areas get warmer and have higher average temps than SF.

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by sacite

What is your agenda with trying to convince everyone that 60-70 degrees is "freezing"? My apartment set st 68 degrees at night. That is about ideal IMO. If I could get 70 degrees all summer long I'd take it in a heartbeat.

Same here. 70 degrees is a comfortable temperature. For me, anything above 75 is too warm.

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by OklaFornia

I understand San Francisco is cooler than San Diego, but I've been in some pretty cold weather. In south eastern Oklahoma the weather can be 20 degrees with wind speeds of 45mph, the windchill freezes you to the bone. SF weather maybe a little cool but its paradise compared to many places in the country.

I used to spend every summer vacation down in LeFlore County, Oklahoma ( Poteau, Howe, Monroe) and it was Sooo freakin' hot and humid!! I would have loved to have spent time there in the colder months, but I never did. The occasional afternoon thunderstorms were nice in summer, but they did little to cool the temps. But that part of Oklahoma is pretty -- very green and hilly.

[L.A.-Mex]

Originally Posted by cityx

Costal San Diego definitely has a warmer (perhaps stagnant) weather pattern in the summer. Definitely not much wind compared to Encinitas/Oceanside and certainly not like the breezy beach towns farther north like Huntington Beach or Malibu. I love San Diego weather but it would sure be nice to get cool evening breezes.
Likely we get a lot of shielding from the bay and the peninsula.

????

San Diego doesnt get evening breezes. Ive been to San Diego hundreds of times and its always breezy. the most breezy parts of Socal are in San Diego from my experiences. thats why SD is always coolest part of SoCal.

[Chimérique]

Correction from my last post.