How Hot Does it Get in the Summers in San Diego Recently? (Santa Ana: 2015, statistics)

[knicksin8]

Just curious if the drought is causing an increase in temperatures.

[oddstray]

I don't see how a drought could influence temperature.

Climate change is possibly (probably) influencing both the drought and temperature.

Last summer, especially in August, we weren't so much higher temperature - the problem was we had high humidity and that made it a more miserable summer than usual.

[sdpbrunner]

While last summer wasn't that bad, last October was really hot. San Diego temps were 7.7 degrees above average for the month. Not sure what the cause was. Perhaps the warm El Nino waters off the coast contributed to the heat.

[bloom]

we'll ultimately find out if the last couple years is an anomaly or trend

[RosieSD]

Weather in San Diego tends to be cyclical, just like anywhere else. We've had hot years, dry years, wet years, cool years. If you look at the last 100 years or so, you'll see that there have been plenty of "hotter than normal" years. 2014 was officially "the hottest" on record, but the average temps that year weren't gigantically different than previous "hottest" record years. (2015 was the second hottest on record, by the way, so perhaps we're in a cooling trend.

If you want specifics, here are two good sites with official statistics:

https://www.climatestations.com/san-diego/

National Weather Service - NWS San Diego


Now, all that said, I agree that last year had some very uncomfortable days. But, I vividly remember August 1988 when it hit 105 and above multiple days in a row in Chula Vista --- I was 9 months pregnant at the time and we didn't have air conditioning. Last summer, hot and humid as it was at times, didn't seem all that bad to me by comparison.

To me personally, the worst weather months of the year aren't the summer months (June-August) but September and October. It seems like we almost always have at least a few days of 95+ temps during those months. Add in some Santa Ana winds, and September/October can be mighty uncomfortable weather-wise. Everything is also so dry and brown during that time. In my mind, that's our summer.

[someguy10]

IMO the last two years have been hot enough that I wouldn't want a place without A/C, especially if you work from home.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

We've been averaging using the A/C unit about 1-2 per year for the last 10 years with a few of the years just turning it on to make sure it still works. Baypark.

[pepsik]

Where SD people are usually swimming? What is the highest Ocean temp. in SD? If not in Ocean, then where?

[bloom]

Where SD people are usually swimming? yes
What is the highest Ocean temp. in SD? mid-70's
If not in Ocean, then where? bay, pools

[USDefault]

Summers definitely have been trending warmer. Last summer and into fall was pretty damn hot. Much warmer than I recall in the late 90s, and no question we run the A/C more now than we did nineteen years ago.

Is it related to climate change? I think so. You can't help but notice San Diego today is somewhat hotter and definitely drier than decades past. Last summer, driving around Fallbrook, Valley Center, even Escondido, everything was super-dry and looked sunburned to a crisp. Ugly and the fire danger was ever-present. Could be climate change, could be the drought patterns, could also be more development, more people, more blacktop, less green and chaparral to moderate the temps.

If the trend continues, I fear San Diego summers and early fall will go from sunny and very warm to unpleasantly hot (and I've heard some grumblings San Diego is already there, but I think it's too early to judge and you'll need several more decades of data to discern any trend or change). More recently, I prefer summer and fall in Portland and southern WA, instead of southern California at this point. Lots more green, trees, comfortable breezes, and the big one, water.