WeatherArchive / Compare cities / San Diego vs San Francisco
San Diego vs San Francisco weather: climate comparison
San Diego is the warmer of the two, averaging 63°F (17°C) over the year against 57°F (14°C) in San Francisco. San Francisco is wetter, with 20.3 in (515 mm) of precipitation a year to San Diego's 11.7 in (298 mm). Below: every month side by side, from 30 years of ERA5 data (1996–2025).
- Mean temperature
- 17.0°C San Diego
14.0°C San Francisco - Annual precipitation
- 298.4 mm San Diego
514.5 mm San Francisco - Rainy days a year
- 38 San Diego
56 San Francisco - Sunshine per day
- 10.9 h San Diego
10.5 h San Francisco
Month by month
| Month | San Diego | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| January | 17.5°C | 13.6°C |
| February | 17.3°C | 14.4°C |
| March | 17.8°C | 15.5°C |
| April | 19.1°C | 16.6°C |
| May | 20.2°C | 18.3°C |
| June | 21.9°C | 20.2°C |
| July | 24.3°C | 20.5°C |
| August | 25.3°C | 21.2°C |
| September | 25.0°C | 22.0°C |
| October | 23.1°C | 20.5°C |
| November | 20.4°C | 16.4°C |
| December | 17.5°C | 13.5°C |
Year at a glance
| Measure | San Diego | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Mean annual temperature | 17.0°C | 14.0°C |
| Warmest month (avg high) | Aug · 25°C | Sep · 22°C |
| Coldest month (avg low) | Jan · 9°C | Jan · 7°C |
| Annual range (warmest high − coldest low) | 17°C | 15°C |
| Annual precipitation | 298.4 mm | 514.5 mm |
| Rainy days per year | 38 | 56 |
| Wettest / driest month | Feb / Jun | Dec / Jul |
| Average sunshine per day | 10.9 h | 10.5 h |
In short: San Diego is the warmest overall (17.0°C mean); San Francisco gets the most precipitation (514.5 mm a year); San Diego is the sunniest (10.9 h a day on average); San Francisco has the smallest swing between its warmest and coldest months.
Record high 1996–2025: San Diego 36.6°C (2020-09-30), San Francisco 38.5°C (2017-09-02). Record low: San Diego 1.8°C (2007-01-15), San Francisco -2.3°C (1998-12-21).
Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0). Values are ERA5 reanalysis model data on a ~9–25 km grid, not readings from a weather station, so a single town’s thermometer can differ by a few degrees and local showers can be missed. Monthly means of daily ERA5 values, 1996–2025, for the grid cells nearest San Diego (32.72, -117.14) and San Francisco (37.79, -122.41).
Which months differ most?
The gap in average highs is widest in August, when San Diego runs 7°F / 4°C warmer, and narrowest in June (3°F / 2°C apart). The biggest rainfall difference is in December: San Francisco gets 2.3 in (57 mm) more on average.
Add a third or fourth city, or swap in any other place, in the full comparison tool. For one city in depth, see the San Diego climate and San Francisco climate pages.
Compare San Diego or San Francisco with another city
Questions people ask
Is San Diego warmer than San Francisco?
San Diego is warmer on average: its mean annual temperature is 63°F (17°C) against 57°F (14°C) in San Francisco (ERA5, 1996–2025).
Which gets more rain, San Diego or San Francisco?
San Francisco, with about 20.3 in (515 mm) of precipitation a year and 56 days with at least 1 mm, compared with 11.7 in (298 mm) and 38 days in San Diego.
Which is sunnier, San Diego or San Francisco?
San Diego averages more sunshine: 10.9 h a day against 10.5 h. Sunshine duration is modelled from cloud cover.
How reliable is this comparison?
Both cities use the same 30-year reanalysis, so differences are consistent. Absolute values describe a grid cell several kilometres wide and can differ by a degree or two from the airport station.