San Francisco Weather Month by Month: What to Pack

Planning around the weather is easier once you know that San Francisco has no hot season and no deep winter. Before you book anything, check San Francisco prices for the dates you are considering, because the weather and the cost move together. The table and notes below come from official National Weather Service and NOAA records.

San Francisco weather month by month: the full table

San Francisco weather stays between about 58 °F and 70 °F for the normal daily high in every month. The numbers below are 30-year normals for the downtown station from NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals. A normal is an average, so a single day can be warmer, colder or wetter. The average of the day and night temperature runs from 52.2 °F in January to 62.9 °F in September. Halving high plus low for the other months gives about 54.2 °F in February, 55.5 in March, 56.4 in April, 57.8 in May, 59.8 in June, 60.4 in July, 61.7 in August, 62.1 in October, 57.2 in November and 52.5 in December.

Key Takeaway September has the warmest normal high at 70.2 °F and July has almost no rain at 0.01 inches, so the warmest month and the driest month are different months.

A city with ocean on three sides keeps its own weather.

Why summer in San Francisco feels colder than autumn

Summer in San Francisco feels cold because cool ocean air and fog cover the coast in June, July and August. The National Weather Service climate summary says summer is dominated by cool marine air, with coastal stratus and fog and mornings that are usually overcast. Average highs run 60 to 70 °F and lows run 50 to 55 °F, and an afternoon sea breeze often blows 20 to 30 miles an hour.

Fog comes from the ocean in summer. By July, says the National Park Service, it covers most coastal park areas. In winter, fog is less common but denser, and it comes from the Central Valley. No official page I could open ranks the foggiest months by percent of foggy days, so this guide does not either. The sources only say fog is most frequent in summer, which makes June, July and August the months to expect it.

Autumn is warmer because the fog thins. The normal high is 70.2 °F in September and 69.8 °F in October, against 66.3 °F in July. The San Francisco Travel Association says August through October are the warmest months and that spring and fall often bring the best weather.

Fog also changes with the spot you stand on. Temperature, cloud and sunshine vary a lot across the city's 46 square miles, says the National Weather Service, and mornings usually clear sooner on the bay side than on the ocean side. A day at the Golden Gate Bridge can start gray and end sunny.

Pro Tip On a September or October afternoon, take the one-hour Golden Gate Bay Cruise, from €34.72 per person, because the bay views are clearest when fog has thinned. Its operator is San Francisco Cruises (The Red and White Fleet), and it is rated 4.7 from 4,085 reviews. The listing shows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 23 October 2026.

The best month to visit San Francisco for weather

September and October are the best months for warm weather, and spring is the better choice if you want fewer rainy days. The sources say this in two parts. The normals show the warmest highs in September (70.2 °F), then October (69.8 °F) and August (67.9 °F). The San Francisco Travel Association adds that the best weather tends to come in spring and fall. By warmth alone, the order is September, October, August, then June and July.

Sunny days per month are not published in the sources I could open, so this guide cannot rank months by sunshine. Neither NOAA nor the National Weather Service page I used lists them. It can rank them by rain. July, August and September each get 0.10 inches or less, and May to September together total under an inch, about 5 percent of the yearly average of roughly 21.5 inches, according to an older National Weather Service note.

One honest limit applies to every table here. A normal is not a forecast. If your trip is in the next ten days, check the National Weather Service forecast for San Francisco before you pack.

Rain season in San Francisco: November to March

The rain season in San Francisco runs from November to March, and December is the wettest month at 4.76 inches. January gets 4.40 inches and February gets 4.37 inches. More than 80 percent of the seasonal rain falls in those five months, on about 10 days a month, according to the same older National Weather Service note.

February and March sit in the middle of the season. February has a normal high of 60.4 °F, a normal low of 47.9 °F and 4.37 inches of rain. March has 62.1 °F, 48.9 °F and 3.15 inches. Both months are mild enough for walking if you carry a rain jacket.

Rain does not close the city, and a wet day is a good time for an indoor stop. The California Academy of Sciences entry ticket is from €43.62 per person and is rated 4.5 from 747 reviews. The listing says the operator is the California Academy of Sciences. The museum's own page lists hours of 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with last entry at 4 p.m. See the Academy's hours and admission page before you go, because hours can change on special days.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 23 October 2026.

What to pack for San Francisco in any month

Pack layers for San Francisco in every month, because conditions change from block to block. The San Francisco Travel Association says highs seldom pass 70 °F and lows seldom drop below 40 °F, and that jeans plus a light windbreaker or sweater cover most needs. Comfortable walking shoes matter on the hills. For June to August, pack a warm jacket, a scarf and layers, because highs run 66 to 68 °F and the fog brings wind and a chill.

Summer needs a warmer layer than most visitors expect. The same page says a lightweight wind-resistant jacket is worth packing even in summer. Its line is that it is summer year-round in San Francisco between the hours of 12 and 3 p.m.

Add one more item for a boat. Bring a light jacket or sweater to Alcatraz whatever the morning looks like, says the Park Service, because the weather can turn from sun to fog and wind in a day.

Air quality is the other thing to check. Wildfire smoke and ozone can reduce visibility in summer and fall, and winter inversions can trap smog, according to the National Park Service. Check the day's air quality report before a long outdoor plan.

Weather and your tours: Alcatraz, boats and refunds

Weather matters most for the boat tours, so plan Alcatraz and bay cruises for the months you choose. The Alcatraz ticket with ferry and self-guided app is from €68.92 per person, is rated 4.5 from 4,589 reviews and lists Pier 33 as its meeting point. It takes 3 to 5.5 hours. The Alcatraz, ferry and audio tour with a night option is from €84.56 per person, is rated 4.4 from 1,221 reviews and is run by Must See.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 23 October 2026.

Dress for the water, not the city. The boat is open to wind, and the island can be foggy and cold on a day that starts sunny in the Mission. Whether boat tours are cancelled for fog is not published by the sources I could open, so read the cancellation terms of each listing before you book. A tour is not needed to enjoy the weather, but the ferry ticket is the way onto Alcatraz, and the Academy ticket gives you a dry plan. The night option takes 3 hours and the bay cruise takes 1 hour. Group size and what is not included are not published in the listing data, so open each listing to check. No listing data gives a meeting point for the cruise or the Academy ticket, or a length for the Academy visit. The Alcatraz ticket's operator is not stated either.

Things to Do in San Francisco's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found that 170 of 204 listings (83 %) offer free cancellation. Each listing states its own terms, and the four tours above each show a full refund up to 24 hours ahead.

Once your month is set, book Alcatraz first. The National Park Service strongly recommends booking in advance, and tickets go on sale up to 90 days ahead. The island is closed from 26 October to 18 November 2026 for dock repairs, so check the NPS notice for those dates.