How come the weather in San Fran is so different from that of Washington DC?

Question

the distance from those two cities from the equator is about the same but the weather in SF is is from the 50-70's throughout the whole year.

i live in DC and i hate that the winters are really cold and the summers are really hot and humid. i'm so jealous.

Answer 1

ocean?

Answer 2

The biggest factor between these two locations is the ocean. San Francisco's weather is moderated by "upwelling" which is the displacement of surface water by very cold water underneath. This cold water modifies the coastal climate and keeps it relatively cool there in the summer, but also keeps it from getting too cold in the winter. Upwelling happens all along the California coast because the oceans currents are moving from the north along the coast. The same thing happens along Africa's west coast.
As for Washington DC, it is close to the Gulf Stream, which is a warm ribbon of water moving south to north. Warm water likes to evaporate, and more evaporation means more moisture in the air, hence higher humidity.

Answer 3

The summer season almost has no rainfall in any respect. daylight hours highs commonly are contained in the mid to higher 60's and temps at evening in many situations cool off into the mid 50's. September is the warmest month of the year on average and also you nonetheless get some ninety degree days that month in spite of the indisputable fact that this is not something like the northeast. Humidity in many situations decreases in the course of the day as morning fog in many situations clears to sunny skies. Mornings must be humid with the fog yet when temps are contained in the 50's then the humidity shouldn't experience that undesirable.

Answer 4

The difference is in the water that fronts either city. San Francisco Bay is very cold water, even in summer (which is why they thought no one could swim from Alcatraz and survive) and moderates the temperature. Hemingway once said that coldest winter he ever spent was summer in San Francisco. I was there the end of July and couldn't bear to open the balcony door to my hotel room since the breeze was so cold and damp. The water temp in the Bay keeps down the summer air temps.

Answer 5

Lived in the bay area for 7 years and it is perfect all the time.
Never cold and never hot. A cold spell is 50 degrees and a heat wave is 80 degrees. No humidity, just cool ocean breezes.

Answer 6

There is a warm ocean current sweeping from the south at SF
also the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada and Rockies block cold arctic air massses coming down from Canada

Answer 7

I lived in DC & never thought that the winters were cold but its all relative.
Now I live in Michigan. Trust me, its colder in Michigan.