Best Time to Visit San Francisco: Weather Month by Month

Q: What is the best time to visit San Francisco?

September is the best month with 20.0°C highs, 14.0°C lows, 9.0h of sunshine and 3.0% rainy days. The months of September & June offer comparable conditions.

Q: How many hours of sunshine does San Francisco get in September?

San Francisco averages 9.0 sunshine hours per day in September. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 7.8/10.

Q: What is the rainiest month in San Francisco?

January is the most unfavourable month with January has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

Q: What are the temperatures at night in San Francisco in September?

In September, overnight lows reach 14.0°C, while afternoon highs average 20.0°C.

Q: Is San Francisco good in winter?

In winter (December-February), San Francisco scores 4.1/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains September with a score of 7.8/10.

Q: When should you avoid San Francisco?

January is the most difficult month to visit San Francisco, with January has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.

Decide

When to visit San Francisco?

The decision rests on several criteria. Climate score, tourist crowds and feasible activities.

Verdict: In San Francisco, September and June clearly stand out. December concentrates the least favourable conditions.

Top & avoid

🏆 September · 8.3 June · 8.2 July · 8.2 August · 8.2 ⚠️ December · 4.2

4.4

Jan

4.4

Feb

4.5

Mar

7.5

Apr

7.8

May

8.2

Jun

8.2

Jul

8.2

Aug

8.3

Sep

8.0

Oct

7.3

Nov

4.2

Dec

Best period · ≥ 7 Decent period · 4 – 7 Tough conditions · < 4

What you grasp in 5 seconds

San Francisco offers 8 comfortable months, without any month really to avoid. The gap stays moderate: 8.3 in September vs 4.2 in December.

What to check next

Your tolerance for crowds and budget. The best months concentrate tourist saturation and higher prices. Shoulder seasons offer a good compromise.

Next action

Scroll down to the detailed table to compare month by month, then open the page of the month that interests you.

Compare the 12 months By your project

How we calculate the score

The score combines 4 weighted criteria using 10 years of real climate data (ERA5).

Source : ERA5 · Open-Meteo · 10 years (2016–2025) · Full methodology →

Understand

Compare all 12 months

Month-by-month details: temperature, rain, sunshine, score and verdict.

✅ 8 comfortable months (Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov)

Month	T° min	T° max	Rain %	mm/day	Sun	Score	Verdict
🌥️ January →	8°C	14°C	26%	4.1mm	6.0h	4.4/10	Decent period
🌥️ February →	8°C	14°C	23%	3.4mm	7.4h	4.4/10	Decent period
🌥️ March →	9°C	14°C	26%	3.3mm	8.7h	4.5/10	Decent period
☀️ April →	10°C	15°C	12%	1.1mm	10.3h	7.5/10	Best period
☀️ May →	11°C	16°C	7%	0.6mm	10.5h	7.8/10	Best period
☀️ June →	12°C	18°C	1%	0.0mm	10.4h	8.2/10	Best period
☀️ July →	13°C	18°C	1%	0.0mm	10.1h	8.2/10	Best period
☀️ August →	14°C	19°C	1%	0.0mm	9.3h	8.2/10	Best period
☀️ September →	14°C	20°C	3%	0.1mm	9.0h	8.3/10	Best period
☀️ October →	13°C	19°C	9%	1.0mm	8.0h	8.0/10	Best period
⛅ November →	10°C	16°C	18%	2.1mm	5.8h	7.3/10	Best period
🌥️ December →	8°C	13°C	25%	4.3mm	5.2h	4.2/10	Decent period

🌥️ January

4.4/10

T°8°C / 14°C

Rain %26%

Sun6.0h

Decent period

🌥️ February

4.4/10

T°8°C / 14°C

Rain %23%

Sun7.4h

Decent period

🌥️ March

4.5/10

T°9°C / 14°C

Rain %26%

Decent period

Rain %12%

Best period

Best period

Best period

Best period

Best period

Best period

Best period

Rain %18%

Best period

T°8°C / 13°C

Rain %25%

Sun5.2h

Decent period

📊 Quick read

Optimal window

Apr → Nov

Good transition

Mar · Dec

Tough period

none

🌡️ Detailed conditions (September)

🌡️ Feel

Comfortable

☀️ UV

6.5 · Moderate-Strong

💧 Humidity feel

13°C · Dry

☔ Rain

3% · 0.1 mm/day

🌅 Sunshine

9.0h/day

Week by week

San Francisco week by week: your odds of avoiding rain

For each week of the year: in how many years out of 10 it was mostly dry (at most 2 rainy days), 2016 to 2025.

Safest week: Jun 11 to Jun 17, mostly dry in 10 years out of 10 (0.0 rainy day(s) on average).

Most exposed: Mar 5 to Mar 11, mostly dry in 5 years out of 10 (2.3 rainy days on average).

Number = years out of 10 with at most 2 rainy days in the week. Source: ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, daily data 2016-2025. Rainy day = at least 1 mm, as everywhere on the site.
Jan	Jan 17/1013°C	Jan 86/1014°C	Jan 156/1014°C	Jan 229/1014°C	Jan 297/1014°C
Feb	Feb 58/1015°C	Feb 128/1015°C	Feb 199/1014°C	Feb 267/1014°C
Mar	Mar 55/1014°C	Mar 126/1015°C	Mar 196/1015°C	Mar 269/1015°C
Apr	Apr 26/1016°C	Apr 910/1016°C	Apr 169/1016°C	Apr 2310/1016°C	Apr 309/1017°C
May	May 710/1017°C	May 148/1017°C	May 2110/1017°C	May 2810/1018°C
Jun	Jun 410/1019°C	Jun 1110/1019°C	Jun 1810/1019°C	Jun 2510/1018°C
Jul	Jul 210/1019°C	Jul 910/1019°C	Jul 1610/1019°C	Jul 2310/1018°C	Jul 3010/1019°C
Aug	Aug 610/1019°C	Aug 1310/1020°C	Aug 2010/1020°C	Aug 2710/1021°C
Sep	Sep 310/1021°C	Sep 1010/1020°C	Sep 179/1021°C	Sep 2410/1021°C
Oct	Oct 110/1022°C	Oct 810/1020°C	Oct 159/1021°C	Oct 228/1020°C	Oct 299/1019°C
Nov	Nov 59/1017°C	Nov 127/1017°C	Nov 197/1016°C	Nov 268/1014°C
Dec	Dec 38/1014°C	Dec 106/1013°C	Dec 177/1013°C	Dec 245/1013°C

A specific date? The app computes the same figure day by day.

10-year trend

Annual temperatures — San Francisco

Min/max temperature curves observed over the past 10 years (ERA5). Shows climate stability and trend.

Tailor

For your trip

A few angles depending on what kind of trip you are planning.

🏖️ Beaches: Jun-Sept🌊 Swell: Sept-Mar🚤 Water activities

Book

Plan your trip

Hotels at their lowest outside peak season, highest on comfortable months. Shoulder seasons offer a good price/climate compromise.

🏨

Stay

Hotels & rentals · San Francisco

Expedia →

🎟️

Activities

Tours, tickets, experiences

See ↓

✈️

Flights

Multi-airline comparator

Kiwi →

🎟️ Activities & tours · San Francisco

GetYourGuide selection · free cancellation

See all →

Affiliate link · GetYourGuide

Practical info

What you need to know before you go

Three angles: the country (language, currency, safety, budget), the year-round climate, and the specifics of a beach holiday.

Country · USA

🗣️LanguageEnglish

💶CurrencyUS Dollar ($)

🚗DrivingRight-hand

🛡️Safety ⓘVery safe · 1/5

💰Cost of living ⓘExpensive · 4/5

🌡️ Climate

🌍Climate typeTemperate oceanic

📈Climate trend ⓘStable

🔥Hottest monthSeptember · 20°C

❄️Coolest monthDecember · 13°C

🌧️Rainiest month ⓘJanuary · 26%

🏖️ Beach holiday

📅Peak seasonJuin → Sept

🏖️Swell (Sept–Mar) ⓘModérée

Explore

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Guides & rankings

World ranking 2026See →

Best summer destinationsSee →

Winter sunSee →

Where to go in JulySee →

🗺️ Climate map of 754 destinations

Location

Where is San Francisco ?

Global position + regional geographic context.

🌍 World

🔍 Geographic context

Temperate oceanic climate with a 8.3 → 4.2 gap between best and worst month. 10 years of ERA5 data to choose by project.

37.77°N · 122.42°W

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit San Francisco?

September is the best month with 20.0°C highs, 14.0°C lows, 9.0h of sunshine and 3.0% rainy days. The months of September & June offer comparable conditions.

How many hours of sunshine does San Francisco get in September?

San Francisco averages 9.0 sunshine hours per day in September. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 7.8/10.

What is the rainiest month in San Francisco?

January is the most unfavourable month with January has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

What are the temperatures at night in San Francisco in September?

In September, overnight lows reach 14.0°C, while afternoon highs average 20.0°C.

Is San Francisco good in winter?

In winter (December-February), San Francisco scores 4.1/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains September with a score of 7.8/10.

When should you avoid San Francisco?

January is the most difficult month to visit San Francisco, with January has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.