When is the best time to visit San Francisco?

Spring in San Francisco is when the year becomes walkable again. March, April and May are mixed: bright days, wet days, and the odd reminder that winter has not fully left.

In San Francisco the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. This is a good month-range for a city break that wants outdoor hours without betting the packing list on heat. Carry a shell.

Read San Francisco in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Summer in San Francisco is the most usable stretch of the year: June, July and August. Long days, milder nights, and outdoor weather that makes a city break feel like a holiday.

In San Francisco the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. It is still a mixed-sky climate. A grey afternoon is not a surprise. Pack for sitting outside and for the hour you duck into a museum because the sky decided otherwise.

Autumn in San Francisco is the second spring, then a slide: September, October and November. Early weeks are for walking. Later weeks are for jackets and shorter outdoor plans.

In San Francisco the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Rain returns as a planning constraint. San Francisco in these months is still a good city-break climate if you pack for weather instead of for a brochure afternoon.

Read San Francisco in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Winter in San Francisco is grey, wet and short on daylight: December, January and February. Snow is possible and not the identity of the season. Museums, food and walking between showers are the trip.

In San Francisco the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. A bright winter afternoon in San Francisco is worth going out for. The rest of the day is not a failed summer. It is the climate this place actually has.