San Francisco, CA weather in August
In August, San Francisco sees highs around 68°F and lows around 56°F: mild and dry. There are about 1 day with rain. Great for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 68°F
- Normal low
- 56°F
- Wet days
- 1
- 0.06 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How August changes from start to finish
| August 1 | August 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 66°F | 69°F |
| Normal low | 55°F | 56°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 3% | 3% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:13 am / 8:18 pm | 6:39 am / 7:41 pm |
| Daylight | 14.1 h | 13.0 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical August day
- 6 am58°Fdew point 54°F
- 9 am64°Fdew point 55°F
- Noon70°Fdew point 55°F
- 3 pm70°Fdew point 54°F
- 6 pm64°Fdew point 54°F
- 9 pm60°Fdew point 54°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from San Francisco Intl Airport (11 mi away); average wind 12 mph; clear or few clouds in 65% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 17%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F21 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph1 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow1 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in0 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per August, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in August
Normal precipitation is 0.06 in; a dry August brings about 0.0 in and a wet one about 0.03 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare.
How August varies from year to year
- Warmest August, 1991-20201993: average high 74°F
- Coolest August2012: average high 65°F
- Wettest August1997: 0.7 in
- Driest August1993: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading98°F (August 24, 2010)
- Lowest reading51°F (August 7, 2018)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
August compared with July and September
| July | August | September | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 66°F | 68°F | 70°F |
| Normal low | 54°F | 56°F | 56°F |
| Wet days | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Comfortable days | 20 | 21 | 19 |
| Daylight | 14.5 h | 13.6 h | 12.4 h |
Highs change by +2°F from July and +2°F into September.
Nearby alternatives in August
- Warmer: San Mateo, CA16 mi · high 73°F · 0 wet days
How San Francisco ranks in August
- Normal high370th warmest of 378 cities; 60th of 60 in California
- Wet days55th driest of 378
- Comfortable days15th most of 341
Heating and cooling
August has 118 heating degree days and 16 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is San Francisco in August?
The normal high is 68°F and the normal low is 56°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest August reading was 51°F (most recently on August 7, 2018).
Does it rain a lot in San Francisco in August?
About 1 days in August have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.06 in. The wettest August in 1991-2020 was in 1997 (0.7 in); the driest was in 1993, with no measurable precipitation.
Is August a good time to visit San Francisco?
August ranks 2nd of 12 months on our comfort score for San Francisco (84 out of 100). It has about 21 comfortable days. The best months are July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain and frost dates: San Francisco Downtown (USW00023272), 0.5 mi SW of the city center, 150 ft (95 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: San Francisco Oceanside (USC00047767), 5.7 mi SW of the city center, 8 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: San Francisco Intl Airport (USW00023234), 11 mi SSE of the city center, 8 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: San Francisco International Airport (724940-23234), 11 mi SSE of the city center, 10 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.