San Rafael, CA Climate

San Rafael, CA enjoys a mild climate year-round. Summers are usually sunny and pleasant, with temperatures rarely exceeding in the high 80s. The winters here tend to be much milder than other areas of the country, with temperatures rarely dropping below 40°F and rainfall more common than snowfall. This makes San Rafael a great place for outdoor activities all year long. The area is also typically quite humid throughout the year, due to its proximity to the ocean, making it a great destination for those who enjoy warmer weather.

San Rafael, California gets 41 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

San Rafael averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 256 sunny days per year in San Rafael. The US average is 205 sunny days.

San Rafael gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 77 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 78 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 42
Rain: averages 41 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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

9.7 Summer - 7.1 Winter

August, July and September are the most pleasant months in San Rafael, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	San Rafael, California	United States
	40.6 in.	38.1 in.
	0.0 in.	27.8 in.
	77.1 days	106.2 days
	256 days	205 days
	78.1°	85.8°
	42.0°	21.7°
	8.5	7
	5.2	4.3
	43 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

August is the hottest month for San Rafael with an average high temperature of 78.3°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In San Rafael, there are 6 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for San Rafael are July, September and August.

In San Rafael, there are 12.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for San Rafael with an average of 42.0°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In San Rafael, there are 2.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

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

Humidity in San Rafael is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are August, July and September.

December is the wettest month in San Rafael with 8.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 59% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 40.6 inches in San Rafael means that it is wetter than most places in California.

January is the rainiest month in San Rafael with 12.8 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.8 rainy days. There are 77.1 rainy days annually in San Rafael, 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 5% chance of a rainy day.

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

Reviews for San Rafael

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Monica · San Rafael, CA

Moderation is always good

Over 12 years ago

San Rafael is only 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco, but the weather is completely different. It's sunny most of the year, including in the summer when the city More

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Jonathan · San Rafael, CA

Crime

Over 14 years ago

I feal very safe in this town. I think getting stopped for talking on your cell phone while driving is a big deal here. Thats about all I can More

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David · San Rafael, CA

San Rafael

Over 16 years ago

Cost of living too high. Unfriendly More

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