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New York City vs San Francisco: weather compared

Across the year, New York City has the better travel weather in 0 months and San Francisco in 12 — based purely on climate data, not opinion. Best months: New York City in May–June & September–October, San Francisco in April–October.

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New York City · United States

January: 102 mm rainFebruary: 88 mm rainMarch: 126 mm rainApril: 125 mm rainMay: 97 mm rainJune: 92 mm rainJuly: 142 mm rainAugust: 129 mm rainSeptember: 119 mm rainOctober: 146 mm rainNovember: 72 mm rainDecember: 127 mm rainJanuary high: 5°CFebruary high: 6°CMarch high: 11°CApril high: 16°CMay high: 21°CJune high: 27°CJuly high: 30°CAugust high: 28°CSeptember high: 25°COctober high: 19°CNovember high: 13°CDecember high: 7°CJanuary low: -2°CFebruary low: -2°CMarch low: 1°CApril low: 6°CMay low: 11°CJune low: 17°CJuly low: 21°CAugust low: 20°CSeptember low: 16°COctober low: 11°CNovember low: 4°CDecember low: 0°CJFMAMJJASOND Avg high Avg low Rainfall

San Francisco · United States

January: 118 mm rainFebruary: 94 mm rainMarch: 98 mm rainApril: 23 mm rainMay: 25 mm rainJune: 2 mm rainJuly: 0 mm rainAugust: 1 mm rainSeptember: 5 mm rainOctober: 30 mm rainNovember: 59 mm rainDecember: 179 mm rainJanuary high: 14°CFebruary high: 14°CMarch high: 14°CApril high: 16°CMay high: 17°CJune high: 19°CJuly high: 19°CAugust high: 20°CSeptember high: 21°COctober high: 21°CNovember high: 16°CDecember high: 14°CJanuary low: 8°CFebruary low: 8°CMarch low: 9°CApril low: 10°CMay low: 11°CJune low: 13°CJuly low: 13°CAugust low: 14°CSeptember low: 14°COctober low: 13°CNovember low: 10°CDecember low: 8°CJFMAMJJASOND Avg high Avg low Rainfall

At a glance

MetricNew York CitySan Francisco
Hottest month high30°C21°C
Coldest month low-2°C8°C
Annual rainfall1366 mm633 mm
Avg sunshine8.7 h/day10.3 h/day
Best monthsMay–June & September–OctoberApril–October

Travel score, month by month

MonthNew York CitySan FranciscoBetter weather
January 1.5 · Challenging 6.3 · Fair San Francisco
February 2.5 · Challenging 7.4 · Good San Francisco
March 5.0 · Fair 6.8 · Fair San Francisco
April 7.3 · Good 9.4 · Excellent San Francisco
May 8.9 · Excellent 10.0 · Excellent San Francisco
June 9.3 · Excellent 10.0 · Excellent San Francisco
July 5.9 · Fair 10.0 · Excellent San Francisco
August 7.2 · Good 10.0 · Excellent San Francisco
September 9.4 · Excellent 10.0 · Excellent San Francisco
October 9.1 · Excellent 10.0 · Excellent San Francisco
November 6.3 · Fair 9.0 · Excellent San Francisco
December 2.4 · Challenging 5.7 · Fair San Francisco

More comparisons

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Frequently asked questions

Which has better weather, New York City or San Francisco?

San Francisco has the better travel weather in 12 of 12 months, versus 0 for New York City — based on temperature, rainfall and sunshine.

When is the best time to visit New York City?

The best months to visit New York City are May–June & September–October, based on six years of climate data.

When is the best time to visit San Francisco?

The best months to visit San Francisco are April–October, based on six years of climate data.

Where should you go next month?

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