Weather in San Francisco

A quote widely, and falsely, attributed to Mark Twain goes, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

While Twain never said it, the sentiment still stands. Summers here can be tremendously cold. Yes, you are in California. Yes, the calendar reads July. And Yes, the thermometer at Ocean Beach reads 54 degrees.

It seems, no matter how much us locals warn visitors to layer, layer, layer, no one believes us until they get here. So heed this warning. WEAR LAYERS! This is a good idea any time of year in SF, but even moreso in the summer, where it can be the aforementioned 54 degrees out at the beach, and be 20 degrees warmer in the Mission. Chances are good that by nightfall, the fog will have rolled in and enveloped the city, requiring a heavier jacket than earlier in the day. It is a crazy city of microclimates, and you would be remiss not to plan for it.

But, if you decide to arrive in shorts and a t-shirt, feel free to pick up one of the “Property of Alcatraz” or “San Francisco” sweatshirts down at Fisherman’s Wharf. Someone’s gotta keep those vendors in business!