Bay Area Weather in January/February (San Francisco, Walnut Creek: winter, typical, people)

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

The rain shadow places get less quantity of rain per storm. But typically, when a storm comes in, they still get lots of clouds and wind.

very true

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Not when there is an inversion or any hint of northerly or offshore flow. In those cases, the Sunset is the warmest place in the Bay Area, and Monterey is the warmest place in the general region. When I lived in the Sunset, I spent a lot of time in the East Bay for work. In winter, I'd feel more cold in the East Bay than at home. Between storms, I'd be out in back by the barbeque, basking in the sun and the reflection off the water. It would be reliably in the 60s for highs, often approaching 70, between the storms, in that particular microclimate. And never any frost or even the slightest hint of dank smoky cold inland valley feeling or tule fog.

Kind of sort of. Generally speaking the east bay is warmer overall. However those offshore winds can turn everything upside down. Those are the equivalent of our Santa Ana winds we have down here. When those blow, the coast is warmer than the desert so what you said makes sense when the offshores blow up there. I've experience that warmer coast phenomenon around the bay as well during those conditions.

[roadfamily6now]

gloomy and everyone runs for cover when it rains! LOL pretty fun to watch

[MrGrumpy]

Yeah, even though the airfare was a steal, I let it pass since I don't want to shell out hundreds of bucks just to sit in my hotel the whole time if the weather decides not to co-operate.

I will probably look at late spring.

[skyway31]

From what I gather, if you were in the Bay area for, say, a week, you could probably count on a few days of rain and a few days of glorious sunshine. That and it's not like rain renders you unable to leave your room. It wouldn't be as bad as one of those "Noreasters" that hit the Northeast lol.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by skyway31

And I gather that, as one can do in spring/summer to get a break from the coastal stratus, you could head down to the South Bay and have a good chance of sunny weather in the rain shadow areas (San Jose, PA, Mountain View etc)? Precipiatation averages are 30-40% lower in those areas than the city and the East Bay and considerably lower than Marin and the mountainous areas.

I live in the South Bay. It is drier here in the winter. We get fewer days of rain. But mostly, its the rain intensity---it rains harder on rainy days in San Francisco than it does further south.

Sometimes we will get an overcast day in the South Bay while it rains in San Francisco and Oakland.

Surprisingly the winter sunshine is actually a tiny bit higher on the coast in winter than it is in the Valley. The valley can get Tule fog a day or two each winter while the cost gets sun.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by MrGrumpy

Thanks for the input. The only reason I was considering it at that time is due to southwest's insane offer on airfare during that time.

It seems like we usually get a warm spell in late January or early February where the temperatures hit the high 60s or low 70s and it's sunny and beautiful for a few days....then it goes back to being chilly and/or nasty. But this obviously can't be counted on.

Coming in late February would improve your chances of getting nice weather as the temperature is more likely to be closer to 60 (low 60s in the South Bay) by then, with a slightly lower chance of rain.....but it's still dicey.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by MrGrumpy

Also I was reading about the closing of the bay bridge, would that be a problem if I were planning on using the BART as my main source of transport? As for the cold that is relative since I am from the Boise Idaho area, where it is usually between 20-40 Degrees between November and March (although it is a dry cold). I was in Oakland a couple of weeks ago for a business conference when they got between 3-4 inches of rain in one day and that was pretty crazy (especially since the roof and seals of the Hotel leaked).

The only problem might be crowding on BART. But BART is a lifesaver when there are problems with the bridge.

We did get a nasty storm a few weeks ago but were glad to get it because we really need the rain. It's unusual for us to get that much rain in October, though.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

I live in the South Bay. It is drier here in the winter. We get fewer days of rain. But mostly, its the rain intensity---it rains harder on rainy days in San Francisco than it does further south.

Sometimes we will get an overcast day in the South Bay while it rains in San Francisco and Oakland.

Surprisingly the winter sunshine is actually a tiny bit higher on the coast in winter than it is in the Valley. The valley can get Tule fog a day or two each winter while the cost gets sun.

This is true. I remember weather forecast there saying stuff like "rain north of San Francisco" or rain north of San Jose and that's pretty much exactly how it happened.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

This is true. I remember weather forecast there saying stuff like "rain north of San Francisco" or rain north of San Jose and that's pretty much exactly how it happened.

Yes, the number of rainy days north of the Golden Gate increases pretty quickly the further north you go. As you go south, the number of rainy days decreases, but the decrease is more gradual.