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2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Palo Alto, CA vs San Francisco, CA

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Highlights

On average, there are 259 sunny days per year in San Francisco. Palo Alto averages 261 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

San Francisco, California gets 24.6 inches of rain, on average, per year. Palo Alto, California gets 17.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

San Francisco averages 0 inches of snow per year. Palo Alto averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.


Weather Highlights

San Francisco, California
Summer High:
the July high is around 67.2 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45.5
Rain: averages 24.6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Palo Alto, California
Summer High:
the July high is around 79.8 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 40.5
Rain: averages 17.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year


BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX
San Francisco

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for San Francisco is 8.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

8.5 / 10
September, August and October are the most pleasant months in San Francisco, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Palo Alto

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Palo Alto is 8.8 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

8.8 / 10
August, July and September are the most pleasant months in Palo Alto, while January and December are the least comfortable months.


Today's Weather - Palo Alto, CA

5 AM PST

Mostly Cloudy

51°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightMostly Cloudy51° / 69°W 6 mph
Sunday NightMostly Clear48° / 69°W 9 to 18 mph
Monday NightClear46° / 70°WNW 6 to 16 mph
Tuesday NightClear46° / 74°WNW 6 to 17 mph
Wednesday NightClear49° / 77°NW 7 to 15 mph
Thursday NightMostly Clear51° / 76°W 5 to 15 mph
Friday NightPartly Cloudy50° / 69°WNW 6 to 13 mph

Today's Weather - San Francisco, CA

5 AM PST

Mostly Cloudy

53°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightMostly Cloudy52° / 56°NW 22 mph
Sunday NightMostly Clear50° / 55°NW 24 to 31 mph
Monday NightMostly Clear49° / 54°NW 30 to 36 mph
Tuesday NightMostly Clear49° / 55°NW 31 to 35 mph
Wednesday NightMostly Clear51° / 55°NW 22 to 28 mph
Thursday NightMostly Clear50° / 55°NW 18 to 23 mph
Friday NightPartly Cloudy50° / 55°NW 17 to 21 mph

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthPalo Alto, CASan Francisco, CA
January58° / 41°58° / 46°
February62° / 43°60° / 47°
March65° / 45°62° / 49°
April69° / 47°63° / 50°
May74° / 51°65° / 52°
June78° / 54°67° / 54°
July80° / 57°67° / 55°
August80° / 56°69° / 56°
September79° / 55°70° / 56°
October74° / 50°69° / 54°
November65° / 45°64° / 50°
December58° / 40°58° / 46°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Palo Alto / San Francisco
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 03 / 010 / 120 / 0
February0 / 01 / 010 / 110 / 0
March0 / 00 / 010 / 110 / 0
April0 / 00 / 05 / 60 / 0
May1 / 00 / 03 / 40 / 0
June3 / 00 / 01 / 20 / 0
July2 / 00 / 00 / 10 / 0
August3 / 00 / 00 / 10 / 0
September3 / 10 / 01 / 20 / 0
October1 / 00 / 03 / 40 / 0
November0 / 00 / 08 / 90 / 0
December0 / 03 / 010 / 120 / 0
July is the hottest month for Palo Alto with an average high temperature of 79.8°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In Palo Alto, there are 6 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Palo Alto are June, September and August.

September is the hottest month for San Francisco with an average high temperature of 69.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In San Francisco, there are 0 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for San Francisco are September, October and August.


December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Palo Alto with an average of 40.2°. This is warmer than most places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for San Francisco with an average of 45.5°. This is one of the warmest places in California.



In Palo Alto, there are 13.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

In San Francisco, there are 1.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.



In Palo Alto, there are 7.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

In San Francisco, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in California.



In Palo Alto, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In San Francisco, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.



February is the wettest month in Palo Alto with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 58% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 17.3 inches in Palo Alto means that it is about average compared to other places in California.


January is the wettest month in San Francisco with 4.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 57% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 24.6 inches in San Francisco means that it is wetter than most places in California.


January is the rainiest month in Palo Alto with 10.2 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.1 rainy days. There are 60.6 rainy days annually in Palo Alto, which is about average compared to other places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 50% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 2% chance of a rainy day.

December is the rainiest month in San Francisco with 11.7 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.6 rainy days. There are 72.3 rainy days annually in San Francisco, which is rainier than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 48% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 4% chance of a rainy day.



There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Palo Alto, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in San Francisco, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.



Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Palo Alto.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in San Francisco.


DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.


Reviews for Palo Alto    2 Reviews

Over 15 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

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Over 15 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

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Reviews for San Francisco    2 Reviews

Over 15 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply

Over 15 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of San Francisco

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ZIPS IN PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA
94306, 94301, 94304
ZIPS IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
94112, 94110, 94122, 94109, 94116, 94121, 94117, 94134, 94118, 94115, 27 total

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