How to Prepare for San Diego Weather

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San Diego is known for having the best weather in the United States and one of the best climates in the world. It rarely gets too hot, never gets too cold, and averages only 10 inches of rain a year.

Even during the winter, San Diego can have perfect beach weather. When these perfect days occur, the local Union Tribune newspaper enjoys publishing pictures that contrast the weather between San Diego and the rest of the country.

Avoid Two Visitor Surprises:

Cool Summer Evenings – Many visitors love visiting San Diego to escape heat and humidity. However, San Diego’s temperate climate can catch visitors off guard in the evenings. Temperatures drop into the 60s with a cool breeze if you are downtown or near the bays or beaches. Bring a long sleeve shirt or windbreaker for the evenings if you plan to be outdoors in these areas.

Overcast Skies in May & June – If you only want to spend your time at the beach when visiting San Diego, be cautious of visiting during May and June. If going to the beach is only one part of your itinerary, then visiting San Diego during those months should be just fine.

Known as May Gray and June Gloom, a marine layer of clouds develops if the ocean temperatures are still cool while the desert begins to heat up. In some years, we have very little of it and in other years it can become persistent. Even in the bad years, the clouds usually ‘burn-off’ by mid-day everywhere east of highway I-5. (Highway I-5 runs north and south within a mile of the ocean.) Along the coastline, the clouds sometimes ‘burn off’ by mid-afternoon and sometimes they do not.

Even if there are a lot of days with the marine layer in a particular year, May and June are still a great time to visit San Diego. The morning cloud cover and smaller crowds make it even more enjoyable to visit the major attractions like the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld, and LEGOLAND. If you want to bask in afternoon sunshine, you will likely find it if you stay at a hotel east of highway I-5. The farther east you go, the more likely you will get to enjoy the sunshine earlier in the day.

As strange as it may seem, there are days during these months when there is 100% sunshine on the east side of highway I-5 and 0% on the west side. So, be sure to check San Diego’s current weather conditions for the beaches shown at the top of each page on this web site. You can also check the current weather conditions for the four climate zones that cover San Diego.

San Diego Microclimates

When visiting San Diego, you will see the news report four different microclimate forecasts – Coastal, Inland, Mountains, and Desert. Most of you will be staying near downtown San Diego or along the coastline, so you will want to pay attention to the Coastal & Inland Forecasts. Many of our visitor attractions are located between the Coast and Inland Areas. So, if you see it is going to be 75 degrees along the Coast and 90 degrees Inland, you should expect it to be 80 to 85 degrees if you visit places like the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, and LEGOLAND.

Microclimate Descriptions

Starting at the Coast and moving eastward towards the San Diego desert:

Coastal Areas – Generally, everything west of highway I-5. This includes Downtown San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, and Oceanside. (This is the forecast placed at the top of every page on this web site.)

  • Average High Temperatures: Ranges from 65 degrees in the winter to 77 degrees in the summer.
  • Average Low Temperatures: Ranges from 48 degrees in the winter to 66 degrees in the summer.
  • Rain – From November to March, Coastal San Diego averages from 1 – 2 inches of rain per month. The farther north you go towards Oceanside, the better chance there is for rain (up to an inch more during winter months). It is rare to see rain between May and September.
  • Coldest Days – There are a few days during the winter when highs only reach the upper 50s, usually when a storm front has moved down from Alaska. Fortunately, the Alaskan storm fronts usually only reach as far as Los Angeles (100 miles to our north).
  • Hottest Days – It is rare to see temperatures in the 90s unless we get Santa Ana winds, which usually come during September and October. Humidity is low so you do not have to worry about sweating.
  • Find more Coastal Weather historical data at Weatherbase.com

Inland Areas – Generally east of highway I-15 in the north and SR-125 in the south. This includes El Cajon, Escondido, and The Wild Animal Park.

  • Average High Temperatures: Ranges from 69 degrees in the winter to 88 degrees in the summer.
  • Average Low Temperatures: Ranges from 41 degrees in the winter to 64 degrees in the summer.
  • Rain – From November to March, Inland San Diego averages from 1 – 3 inches of rain per month. It is rare to see rain between May and September.
  • Coldest Days – If there is snow in the nearby mountains, nighttime temperatures can fall below freezing while daytime temperatures hover in the 50’s.
  • Hottest Days – From May through October, there can be spurts of days with temperatures of 100 degrees or more. During the spring there can be days where it is only in the 60’s along the coast but over 100 degrees inland. Santa Ana winds, which usually come during September and October, can also bring heavy doses of heat and wind. However, humidity is low so you do not have to worry about sweating. Instead, you need to make sure you drink extra water.
  • Find more Inland Weather historical data at Weatherbase.com

Mountain Areas – Includes Julian and the Cleveland National Forest

  • Average High Temperatures: Ranges from 55 degrees in the winter to 91 degrees in the summer.
  • Average Low Temperatures: Ranges from 35 degrees in the winter to 54 degrees in the summer.
  • Rain – From November to March, the Mountain areas of San Diego average from 3 – 5 inches of rain per month. Rain clouds may pass over the Coastal and Inland areas and not drop any rain but once they hit the mountains, which range up to around 6,000 feet, it becomes a different story. June and July are the driest months, averaging under a half inch of rain.
  • Coldest Days – Each year, one or two snowstorms usually reach down from Northern California and drop a few inches of snow. Tire chains are often required if you want to go there for sledding. Otherwise, the mountains enjoy cool, but not cold, air.
  • Hottest Days – There are many days in the late summer and early fall with temperatures in the 90s, especially when the Santa Ana winds kick-up. However, evenings cool down quickly so be sure to bring a long sleeve shirt or light jacket if you plan to stay overnight.
  • Find more Mountain Weather historical data at Weatherbase.com

Desert Areas – Includes Borrego Springs and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  • Average High Temperatures: Ranges from 69 degrees in the winter to 107 degrees in the summer.
  • Average Low Temperatures: Ranges from 43 degrees in the winter to 75 degrees in the summer.
  • Rain – From November to March, the Desert areas of San Diego average about one inch of rain per month. There is also an occasional rainstorm (usually July and August) that can cause flash floods. However, the monthly average for these months ranges from a third to two-thirds of an inch.
  • Coldest Days – There is a large contrast between daytime and nighttime temperatures making the nights seem cool enough that you may want to bring along a jacket if you stay overnight, especially during the winter.
  • Hottest Days – Expect over 100 degree weather all summer long and occasionally during the spring and fall. It is best to visit the desert between fall and spring. However, it is usually a very dry heat, except for the late summer when a monsoonal flow may arrive from the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Find more Desert Weather historical data at DesertUSA.com

Weather Forecast

To see the current weather for each area and the forecast for the next three days, visit our San Diego Weather Forecasts page.

Sunrise and Sunset

Checkout the daily sunrise and sunset times in San Diego from TimeAndDate.com. The latest sunset occurs in late June at 8:01PM, which is a little earlier than what many visitors may expect.

High and Low Tides

Checkout the daily high and low tide predictions for San Diego (La Jolla) from NOAA. Waves are usually 4 to 5 feet in height. However, they can rise up to over 10 feet on occasion and attract crowds of onlookers. The news media let’s people know when to expect big waves.

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