San Francisco, CA weather in September
San Francisco is mild and dry in September: highs average 70°F and nights drop to about 56°F. Expect about 1 wet day. This is the peak of the warm season in San Francisco. A great month for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 70°F
- Normal low
- 56°F
- Wet days
- 1
- 0.1 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How September changes from start to finish
| September 1 | September 30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 70°F | 71°F |
| Normal low | 56°F | 55°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 3% | 6% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:39 am / 7:39 pm | 7:04 am / 6:54 pm |
| Daylight | 13.0 h | 11.8 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 September day
- 6 am58°Fdew point 53°F
- 9 am64°Fdew point 55°F
- Noon70°Fdew point 55°F
- 3 pm71°Fdew point 53°F
- 6 pm64°Fdew point 53°F
- 9 pm61°Fdew point 53°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from San Francisco Intl Airport (11 mi away); average wind 11 mph; clear or few clouds in 64% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 20%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F19 of 30
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph3 of 30
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 30
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 30
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow1 of 30
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in0 of 30
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 30
Average days per September, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in September
Normal precipitation is 0.1 in; a dry September brings about 0.0 in and a wet one about 0.1 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare.
How September varies from year to year
- Warmest September, 1991-20201997: average high 77°F
- Coolest September2012: average high 64°F
- Wettest September1999: 0.6 in
- Driest September1991: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading106°F (September 1, 2017)
- Lowest reading49°F (September 23, 2012)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
September compared with August and October
| August | September | October | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 68°F | 70°F | 70°F |
| Normal low | 56°F | 56°F | 54°F |
| Wet days | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Comfortable days | 21 | 19 | 18 |
| Daylight | 13.6 h | 12.4 h | 11.2 h |
Highs change by +2°F from August and 0°F into October.
Nearby alternatives in September
- Warmer: Vallejo, CA24 mi · high 84°F · 1 wet day
How San Francisco ranks in September
- Normal high349th warmest of 378 cities; 60th of 60 in California
- Wet days53rd driest of 378
- Comfortable days24th most of 342
Heating and cooling
September has 97 heating degree days and 34 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is San Francisco in September?
The normal high is 70°F and the normal low is 56°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest September reading was 106°F (September 1, 2017).
Does it rain a lot in San Francisco in September?
About 1 days in September have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.1 in. The wettest September in 1991-2020 was in 1999 (0.6 in); the driest was in 1991, with no measurable precipitation.
Is September a good time to visit San Francisco?
September ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for San Francisco (77 out of 100). It has about 19 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. 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.