Best time to visit San Francisco, CA, USA

Our verdict

The best time to visit San Francisco is November

San Francisco can be visited year-round, but based on the ideal climate conditions, cost of travel, and avoiding peak holiday periods, November is the best time to go.

In summer, temperatures can reach as high as 26℃ (79℉) in the middle of the day. The weather in the winter, especially around December, can reach a minimum of 5℃ (42℉).

The days are longest in San Francisco in July, so if you want to see the sights during the day when the sun is up for the longest time, it’s best to visit around that time of year. On average it rains the most days in February, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.

Keep reading to find out more detailed information about the seasons and climate in San Francisco, as well as our favourite tools to help you find the best options for transport, accommodation, and much more.

Warmest month

September

Least rainfall

July

Most daylight

July

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San Francisco seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in San Francisco as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. San Francisco is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in San Francisco

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in San Francisco for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

San Francisco climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in San Francisco for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

San Francisco in January

  • Average temperature: 10℃ (51℉)
  • Average high temperature: 14℃ (56℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 26mm (1") over 8 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in January, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


San Francisco in February

  • Average temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average high temperature: 15℃ (58℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 21 days
  • Average rainfall: 35mm (1") over 6 days
21 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in February, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


San Francisco in March

  • Average temperature: 12℃ (53℉)
  • Average high temperature: 16℃ (60℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 21 days
  • Average rainfall: 22mm (1") over 9 days
21 days
of pure sunshine
9 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in March, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


San Francisco in April

  • Average temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average high temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (49℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 7mm (0") over 5 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in April, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


San Francisco in May

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (58℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (51℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 9mm (0") over 4 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in May, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


San Francisco in June

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average humidity: 71%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 3mm (0") over 2 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in June, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


San Francisco in July

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 2 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in July, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


San Francisco in August

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 23 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 2 days
23 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in August, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


San Francisco in September

  • Average temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average humidity: 69%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 3 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.

San Francisco in October

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average high temperature: 20℃ (69℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average humidity: 67%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 9mm (0") over 3 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in October, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


San Francisco in November

  • Average temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average high temperature: 16℃ (62℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (50℉)
  • Average humidity: 70%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 21mm (1") over 5 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in November, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


San Francisco in December

  • Average temperature: 10℃ (50℉)
  • Average high temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 26mm (1") over 8 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to San Francisco in December, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in San Francisco is usually September, where temperatures tend to rise to around 23℃ (74℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in San Francisco is generally around July. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in July first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in San Francisco is generally around February, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of February too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting San Francisco, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

San Francisco map