Sausalito Weather
Sausalito is draped across steep hillsides between San Francisco Bay and the cliffs of the Marin Headlands, which shield us from much of the coastal fog. The town has a Mediterranean climate, and is often much warmer than nearby San Francisco. The fog typically clings to the hilltops, although occasionally it will descend to sea level.
For information on what to wear when visiting Sausalito please click here.
A table of average temperatures and rainfall (in both the English Fahrenheit and Metric Celsius scales) is at the bottom of the page.
Springtime in Sausalito
There is very little rain here after May 1 most years, although the occasional storm still makes an appearance. Some years April is very dry as well.
It's usually warmer here than in San Francisco. On most days a light sweater or windbreaker will be enough to keep you warm in the late-afternoon breezes, though a foggy day may call for something heavier. An after-dinner walk through downtown after a warm day normally calls for a windbreaker or jacket.
Many of the restaurants with sidewalk seating have heaters to keep dinner guests toasty.
There will be occasional days when the overcast never burns off across all of San Francisco Bay and a warm coat is mandatory. The next day might be warm and sunny -- it all just depends on the fog.
Summer in Sausalito
Temperatures can reach the 80's (F) and mid-20's (C) here during daytime in the summer. But we also have days where the clouds compete with blue sky and the temperatures never get past 65 (F) or 18 (C).
Late afternoon breezes often cool things down on warm days, and after the sun sets you'll still want to have a sweater or windbreaker with you. Mornings can also be cold and overcast, though the cloud layer usually burns off by late morning.
Many afternoons the fog will dance along the hilltops above town, unable to enter the warmer inner Bay. Occasionally it will dip in over the southern edge of Sausalito as in the photo at left. The Bridgeway promenade and downtown Sausalito are still sunny in the foreground. (Photo copyright 2009 Nick Strada, used by permission.)
It very rarely rains in Sausalito during the summer.
Autumn in Sausalito
September and October are often the nicest months of the year, since the prevailing winds shift and the entire Bay Area gets less fog. Many of the patterns described above for Summer continue to hold true, and we can get our warmest evenings.
These are also the months when we can get our first post-summer rains, however, so a visit later in autumn still calls for an umbrella.
Once November comes we start to see sharp drops in temperature, and rain becomes much more likely. Bring a warm coat if you'll be visiting this late in the year.
Winter in Sausalito
Sausalito winters are beautiful, and rain storms occur in irregular patterns where an entire week can be very wet or completely sunny and dry. Temperatures are much cooler than during the summer and autumn, and a warm coat is a necessity.
Of course, one of our editors was born in the Northeastern U.S., and to her Sausalito is never "cold"! We never get show (once in 100 years) and "cold" here is 50 degress F., 10 degrees C.
Average Temperatures and Rainfall
Although these are averages, temperatures in Sausalito in the summer often reach the 70's and 80's (F) and low to mid 20's (C).
| Month | Ave. High | Ave. Low | Ave. High | Ave. Low | Ave. Rain | Ave. Rain |
| in F. | in F. | in C. | in C. | Inches | MM | |
| January | 56 | 43 | 13 | 6 | 4.1 | 105 |
| February | 60 | 46 | 16 | 8 | 3.7 | 95 |
| March | 61 | 47 | 16 | 8 | 3.3 | 82 |
| April | 64 | 48 | 18 | 9 | 1.2 | 30 |
| May | 67 | 50 | 19 | 10 | 0.5 | 13 |
| June | 70 | 53 | 21 | 12 | 0.1 | 2 |
| July | 71 | 54 | 22 | 12 | 0.0 | 1 |
| August | 72 | 55 | 22 | 13 | 0.1 | 2 |
| September | 73 | 55 | 23 | 13 | 0.2 | 4 |
| October | 70 | 53 | 21 | 12 | 1.0 | 26 |
| November | 62 | 48 | 17 | 9 | 2.6 | 66 |
| December | 56 | 43 | 13 | 6 | 3.0 | 75 |
Source: AccuWeather.com
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