Visitors looking for that famous California sunshine without the sweltering heat waves of cities like Los Angeles will be perfectly content with the weather in Oakland.
Oakland’s 261 days of sunshine are cooled by the San Francisco bay breeze, luring locals to parks and outdoor attractions with mild temperatures throughout the seasons.
While Oakland inherits some of San Francisco’s fog and overcast days, those crossing the Bay Bridge from SF will usually find Oakland to be about 20 degrees warmer. The hills east of Berkeley and Oakland keep the fog from traveling further inland and the sun normally burns it off by the afternoon. Get your outdoor workouts and hilltop hikes in between 11am and 12pm to benefit from the afternoon sunshine with the cool relief of the leftover morning fog.
The Oakland climate is ideal for visitors escaping extreme weather. The city experiences a comfortably narrow temperature range, with an average low of 45 degrees between January and February and an average high of 75 degrees between July and September.
While Oakland gets more annual rainfall than Southern California cities, it only sees around 23 inches spread out across approximately 60 days. Better yet, there’s never any snow. For those craving a more seasonal winter experience, a day-trip to the mountains is only a couple of hours east.
Oakland’s temperate weather means there’s no need for seasonal wardrobes. Bay Area locals know that when it comes to getting dressed, layering is key. T-shirts, tank-tops, and blue jeans are wardrobe staples and can be worn year-round with a light hoodie in the spring and summer months and a warmer jacket in the fall and winter.
Even on the hottest of summer days its best to keep something warm to throw on when the nighttime chill creeps in from the waterfront at around 7pm. And if you’re visiting in the winter, don’t forget your umbrella!
