Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You may have heard prior complaints about San Francisco weather. The
accompanying table collects rain and temperature data valid for the entire year,
and you'll probably agree that it's pretty appealing most of the time. The famous
quote, erroneously attributed to Mark Twain, is “The coldest winter I ever spent
was a summer in San Francisco.” He didn't actually say it, and even if he did, it'd
be hyperbole, because summers aren't all that cold, but they aren't sweltering
either. The hills and sea air of town wreak havoc on the weather patterns, so it's
almost useless to even give a blanket prescription for the whole city's forecast.
When there's fog at the Golden Gate, it may be sunny on Twin Peaks. For a few
days in September or October, the temperature may soar above 100, but it passes
quickly. When there is fog, it usually clears by lunchtime.
One warning:
The amount of rain in January in our chart is not a misprint;
bring an umbrella if you plan to visit around then, because the downpours can be
intense. Most of the rest of the year, precipitation fizzles as a drizzle. And likewise
for summer, come prepared with layers, because the temperature can and will dip
lower than you're used to for a July day.
San Francisco Visit-Worthy Events
One of the cool things about San Francisco is that there's almost always something going
on. The marquee stuff is named below, but you'll also find that locals are constantly
throwing amusing one-off parties and festivals with very little warning and with no
intention of making them annual events. To wit: a mass pillow fight on Market Street, or
the one-day-a-year How Weird Street Faire (www.howweird.org), a peace-themed festival
with nine musical stages. How do you get wind of these events? First, consult
SF Weekly
(www.sfweekly.com) and
The Examiner
(www.examiner.com/san_francisco), but also drop
in at hipster blogs such as SFist (www.sfist.com).
January
New Year's Eve:
Unlike in, say, New York
City, there's not one place where everyone
goes for midnight. Locals tend to gather
to celebrate the New Year at Union
Square, at Ocean Beach, or, now that its
clock is working again and there's not a
highway in front of it, in front of the Ferry
Building. However, in recent years, the
city has permitted free rides all night long
on Muni, so you can pick your perfect
spot without spending too much, if the
above three don't work for you.
Dine About Town:
Dozens of gourmet
restaurants participate in this weeklong
mass price-cutting during which a three-
course meal costs $22 at lunch or $32 at
dinner. Not dead cheap, but less expensive
than you'd usually pay, and at places you
might not otherwise find affordable to
visit. A second week is usually also held in
mid-June. Go to www.onlyinsanfrancisco.
com/dineabouttown for more information.
February
Chinese New Year:
One of the city's most
family-friendly public events, this 2-week
celebration parties in the streets with
food stalls, martial-arts demonstrations,
fireworks, art displays, a beauty pageant,
and, of course, a parade so elaborate
(lions, firecrackers, costumes) that
bleacher seats are sold for it starting in
December. Secure a hotel room early.
Check out www.chineseparade.com.
March
St. Patrick's Day Parade:
St. Patrick's Day
parades everywhere have turned mostly
