2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
San Marcos, CA vs Lake Forest, CA

Change Cities
Highlights

On average, there are 279 sunny days per year in Lake Forest. San Marcos averages 265 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Lake Forest, California gets 14.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. San Marcos, California gets 13.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Lake Forest averages 0 inches of snow per year. San Marcos averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Lake Forest, California
Summer High:
the July high is around 85.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45.2
Rain: averages 14.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

San Marcos, California
Summer High:
the July high is around 80.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45
Rain: averages 13.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index
Lake Forest

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Lake Forest is 9.1 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in California.

9.1 / 10
June, May and October are the most pleasant months in Lake Forest, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

San Marcos

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for San Marcos is 9.1 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in California.

9.1 / 10
June, September and July are the most pleasant months in San Marcos, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Today's Weather - San Marcos, CA

12 AM PST

Patchy Fog

60°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightPatchy Fog56° / 70°S 5 to 10 mph
Monday NightPatchy Drizzle55° / 64°W 5 to 10 mph
Tuesday NightMostly Cloudy53° / 69°SW 0 to 10 mph
Wednesday NightPatchy Fog53° / 69°S 0 to 10 mph
Thursday NightMostly Cloudy53° / 68°SW 0 to 10 mph
Friday NightMostly Cloudy53° / 68°SW 0 to 10 mph
Saturday NightMostly Cloudy55° / 67°SW 5 to 10 mph
Today's Weather - Lake Forest, CA

12 AM PST

Patchy Fog

63°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightPatchy Fog57° / 71°SE 5 to 10 mph
Monday NightPatchy Drizzle53° / 65°SW 5 to 10 mph
Tuesday NightMostly Cloudy51° / 70°S 5 to 10 mph
Wednesday NightPatchy Fog53° / 71°S 0 to 10 mph
Thursday NightMostly Cloudy54° / 70°S 0 to 5 mph
Friday NightMostly Cloudy54° / 69°S 5 mph
Saturday NightMostly Cloudy54° / 68°S 5 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthSan Marcos, CALake Forest, CA
January67° / 45°67° / 45°
February67° / 46°67° / 46°
March68° / 48°69° / 47°
April71° / 51°73° / 50°
May73° / 55°76° / 54°
June76° / 59°80° / 58°
July81° / 63°85° / 62°
August82° / 64°87° / 62°
September81° / 62°85° / 60°
October77° / 56°79° / 55°
November71° / 49°72° / 49°
December66° / 44°66° / 45°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: San Marcos / Lake Forest
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 00 / 16 / 60 / 0
February0 / 00 / 07 / 60 / 0
March0 / 00 / 06 / 60 / 0
April1 / 10 / 04 / 30 / 0
May1 / 20 / 02 / 20 / 0
June2 / 30 / 01 / 10 / 0
July4 / 80 / 01 / 10 / 0
August6 / 100 / 01 / 00 / 0
September5 / 90 / 01 / 10 / 0
October2 / 40 / 03 / 20 / 0
November1 / 10 / 04 / 30 / 0
December0 / 00 / 16 / 50 / 0
August is the hottest month for San Marcos with an average high temperature of 82.4°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In San Marcos, there are 8 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for San Marcos are October, June and July.

August is the hottest month for Lake Forest with an average high temperature of 87.0°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In Lake Forest, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Lake Forest are October, June and May.
December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for San Marcos with an average of 44.3°. This is warmer than most places in California.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Lake Forest with an average of 44.5°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In San Marcos, there are 20.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

In Lake Forest, there are 36.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In San Marcos, there are 1.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

In Lake Forest, there are 1.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

In San Marcos, 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 Lake Forest, 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 San Marcos with 3.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is June with 0.1 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 58% of yearly precipitation and 2% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 13.7 inches in San Marcos means that it is drier than most places in California.


February is the wettest month in Lake Forest with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 60% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 14.2 inches in Lake Forest means that it is drier than most places in California.

February is the rainiest month in San Marcos with 7.2 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 0.5 rainy days. There are 41.3 rainy days annually in San Marcos, which is less rainy than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 47% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 5% chance of a rainy day.

February is the rainiest month in Lake Forest with 6.3 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 0.4 rainy days. There are 36.5 rainy days annually in Lake Forest, which is less rainy than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 49% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 5% chance of a rainy day.

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

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Lake Forest, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.
Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in San Marcos.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Lake Forest.

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 San Marcos    2 Reviews

Over 16 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 16 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 Marcos

Reviews for Lake Forest    2 Reviews

Over 16 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 16 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 Lake Forest

Compare Cost of Living
Compare San Marcos Cost of Living vs Lake Forest Cost of Living: Taxes, Childcare, Groceries, Health...


Zips In San Marcos, California
92069, 92078
Zips In LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA
92630, 92610, 92676
Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.