San Francisco weather in April

In April, San Francisco sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 62 mm of rain across 11.2 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in April, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of April to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is San Francisco's 5th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Francisco's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
1st warmest
Overnight low
17°
8th coldest
Rainfall
62 mm
11.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:30 AM – 5:43 PM
Cloud cover
68%
5th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical April day in San Francisco reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs on par with March and about 1°C warmer than May.

15°20°25°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12717
22717
32717
42717
52717
62717
72717
82717
92717
102717
112717
122717
132717
142717
152717
162717
172718
182718
192618
202618
212618
222618
232618
242618
252618
262618
272618
282618
292618
302618

San Francisco weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 1st-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 16°295.811.57.8
Feb25° / 16°204.111.78.0
Mar26° / 17°205.211.97.5
Apr27° / 17°6211.212.26.2
May25° / 18°33324.712.54.2
Jun25° / 18°39027.312.63.8
Jul24° / 18°2672512.54.3
Aug25° / 18°35226.412.34.0
Sep24° / 17°42428.312.13.7
Oct24° / 17°44428.811.83.8
Nov24° / 17°22421.511.54.8
Dec24° / 17°7210.811.46.9

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25446
35248
45149
55050
64852
74753
84555
94555
104456
114258
124258
133961
143862
153763
163664
173466
183466
193268
203169
213070
222872
232674
242476
252377
262179
271981
281783
291783
301585

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

San Francisco gets around 62 mm of rain over 11.2 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 37% and peaks near 56% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
123
224
324
425
526
626
727
828
929
1030
1130
1231
1332
1433
1534
1635
1737
1838
1940
2041
2143
2245
2346
2448
2549
2651
2752
2853
2955
3056

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of April feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, April lands in the humid band about 53% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 5% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1951391
2949411
3948421
4946431
5945442
6944452
7943462
8942472
9842482
10841492
11841492
12740512
13740512
14640522
15639523
16639523
17538543
18537544
19536545
20435565
21433576
22332587
23330598
24329599
252276110
262256211
272246212
282226313
291206613
301196515

Wind in April

Winds average 6 km/h in April.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of April to 12 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 5:39 AM to 5:24 AM, and sunset from 5:44 PM to 5:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.15:395:44
212.15:385:44
312.15:375:44
412.15:375:44
512.15:365:44
612.15:365:43
712.15:355:43
812.15:355:43
912.25:345:43
1012.25:335:43
1112.25:335:43
1212.25:325:43
1312.25:325:43
1412.25:315:43
1512.25:315:43
1612.25:305:43
1712.25:305:43
1812.25:295:43
1912.25:295:43
2012.35:285:43
2112.35:285:43
2212.35:275:44
2312.35:275:44
2412.35:265:44
2512.35:265:44
2612.35:255:44
2712.35:255:44
2812.35:245:44
2912.35:245:44
3012.35:245:44

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 5.67 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.65 kWh/m² to a high of 5.95 kWh/m² in March across the year — April's 5.67 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.0Intense
36.0Bright
46.0Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.4Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
Planning a trip in April

Hazard calendar for San Francisco

In seasonPeak

None of San Francisco's seasonal hazards are active in April. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

San Francisco's rainy season runs May–November, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is April a good time to visit San Francisco?

Our two travel scores rate April for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

April is a reasonable time to visit San Francisco for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for San Francisco in April

From April's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In April, San Francisco sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 17°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near San Francisco in April

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in April — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 56 km away) is warmest in April at about 29°C and coldest in November near 28°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in San Francisco in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in San Francisco peaks around March 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 19UV 15Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in San Francisco in April

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where April falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in San Francisco is worst in May — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1718 µg/m³Jan 149 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr17Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is San Francisco?

San Francisco sits at 10.0°N, 84.1°W, 1,131 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Heredia, 1.0 km away.

Topography around San Francisco

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of San Francisco.

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Francisco has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 271 m around an average of 1,102 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,296 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,470 m.

The land around San Francisco is covered by artificial surfaces (68%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, trees (56%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) within 80 km.

3 km
271 m
16 km
2,296 m
80 km
3,470 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
April weather nearby: Heredia 1.0 km · Mercedes Norte 1.0 km · San Pablo 3.0 km · San Juan 6.0 km · Colima 7.0 km · San Rafael 7.0 km · San Jose 8.0 km · Calle Blancos 9.0 km

Costa Rica travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 59% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$19,970
2025
Happiness
7.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
81%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
17.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 516
Religion
Roman Catholic 48%none 27%Evangelical and Pentecostal 20%other 3%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for San Francisco (9.9938°, -84.1274°, elevation 1,131 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).