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San Francisco Weather in August

Averages By Month

When elsewhere it might be boiling hot, San Francisco has some great, refreshing weather in August. Temperatures reach highs of a pleasant 68°F (20°C) and combined with 9 hours of average daily sunshine it will be perfect for exploring this great city. There won’t be any rain either but the sea breeze can make it feel quite cool at times so do bring a good windbreaker. You will also need it in the night when lows can drop to 55°F (13°C). The Pacific Ocean has now reached its warmest temperature and the water measures 57°F (14°C) in August- still far too cold to swim in without a wetsuit.

Well there are endless sightseeing opportunities in San Francisco but if your time is limited, you can do all you need in just two days. There is also the Outside Lands Festival and, not in San Francisco but most loved by the people from there, the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert.

High and Low Temperature in August °F

Precipitation days in August °F

Current Weather San Francisco

46°F few clouds
Local Time

Hourly 10 Days

Averages San Francisco

  J F M A M J J A S O N D

High °F

58° 61° 62° 63° 65° 67° 67° 68° 71° 70° 64° 58°

Low °F

46° 48° 49° 50° 51° 53° 54° 55° 56° 55° 52° 47°

Sun

6h 7h 9h 10h 11h 10h 10h 9h 9h 8h 6h 5h

Rain days

8 8 7 4 2 0 0 0 0 2 6 8

Water °F

53 53 54 53 53 53 55 57 57 57 55 55

San Francisco Weather by Month

Best Time to Visit San Francisco

San Francisco has the best weather conditions to offer from May until the end of October. Due to the fine weather and given the school holidays, July and August are the busiest and most expensive months. Late summer and fall are actually the warmest months and with less of a crowd, the very best time to visit.

Between December and March temperatures are often cool and it does rain quite frequently. So winter isn’t the best season to visit in terms of the weather but you are sure to find a great deal.

Sometimes you might also be lucky enough to have good weather already in April and even November. You will be likely to find better deals in these shoulder months.

Things to know about San Francisco

First time visitors to San Francisco are likely to be shocked by the number of homeless people in downtown, especially around Union Square and the Tenderloin district just to the west. This latter area is best avoided as it can feel quite intimidating. Paradoxically, this central area of downtown around Union Square is also where the high end, luxury shops are to be found as well. Once you’ve paid a cursory visit to the epicentre of the city, Union Square, there are much more pleasant, relaxing and aesthetically pleasing areas to be found around this beautiful city.
San Francisco lombard street buildings plants sky
San Francisco warehouse golden gate bridge view mountain
Fisherman’s Wharf Locals and regular visitors to San Francisco may stay well clear of Fisherman’s Wharf, labelling it a tourist trap. However, if visiting for the first time or if you’ve never been before, it is a must see in San Francisco! There are a lot of shops, restaurants, arcades, attractions and events on the northern shore here.

Things to do in Fisherman’s Wharf:
San Francisco golden gate bridge beach bay sky rocks
San Francisco alcatraz boats bay sky
SOMA (South of Market)

This is a very trendy, up and coming neighborhood featuring several cafes, restaurants and bars that are worth visiting. The architecture and design sees a lot of new high rises mixed in amongst warehouses.

Things to do in SOMA:

San Francisco giants stadium oracle park baseball field bay scoreboard
San Francisco skyline soma mission buildings view
Financial District/Embarcadero/Telegraph Hill Whilst the activity in a lot of major cities’ financial/downtown districts shuts down towards the end of the day and over weekends, San Francisco’s Financial District and the surrounding area stays quite vibrant.

Things to do in Financial District:

San Francisco  ferry building sky embarcadero
San Francisco  view bay sky building plants
Haight-Ashbury/Golden Gate Park

The intersection of Haight and Ashbury is famous as ground zero for the Summer of Love in 1967 where up to 100,000 convened in a celebration of freedom of expression. This area is therefore commonly considered to be the origin of hippie counterculture. Today, the crowds are less intense and it makes for a pleasant place to visit.

To the west is Golden Gate Park which stretches for over 3 miles. You can walk from one end to the other although this may take up to a couple of hours. Renting a bike is a popular way to see all that the park has to offer.

In the middle of Golden Gate Park is the California Academy of Sciences which makes for an interesting place to visit. Next to this is the Japanese Tea Garden, Music Concourse, Shakespeare Garden and de Young Museum housing a diverse collection of fine arts.

As you pass further west through the park, you’ll encounter Stow Lake which has a boathouse from which boats can be rented. Next up are a couple of picnic areas follow by a polo field and then quite uniquely, Bison Paddock featuring a grazing herd of bison.

Finally, as you approach the Pacific Ocean, you’ll encounter the Dutch Windmill which was originally constructed in 1903 and then you can enjoy a well earned drink and/or meal at the historic Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant.

Pacific Heights/Presidio Heights

Pacific Heights is probably the most upmarket residential neighborhood in San Francisco. This is where the most expensive and spectacular houses are to be found with unparalleled views of the bay. A short walk down the hill is the Marina District with Lombard Street hosting several bars and restaurants.

Golf enthusiasts should note that Presidio Heights houses the closest golf course to the city, Presidio Golf Course which is in a national park. However, for a truly unique golfing experience it’s worth venturing further west to Lincoln Park Golf Course. While Presidio Golf Course is always in immaculate condition, Lincoln Park is a much cheaper public course offering the most breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge, downtown skyline and Pacific Ocean.

Even if you’re not into golf, it’s worth heading out to Lincoln Park Golf Course as within the course is the Legion of Honor which has 4,000 years of ancient and European art in a most impressive building. Just next door is Lands End Lookout which allows for hiking with the most outstanding views, the Sutro Baths and the Lands End Labyrinth. If you’re feeling peckish, Cliff House serves Californian cuisine whilst looking out over the ocean.

San Francisco  alcatraz ss jeremiah o brien ship bay
San Francisco lincoln park golf course downtown skyline
Mission Districty The Mission District is commonly referred to as “The Mission” and is the most avant-garde part of San Francisco (whilst a lot of people love it, you may want to consider whether to visit or not if you’re not comfortable with counterculture). Getting around in San Francisco: Public transport, Rental cars or Uber

San Francisco Location

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