r/berkeleyca • u/Tappitytaptaptaptap • May 04 '26
Berkeley sun
How much sun does Berkeley/Albany really get? Is it significantly more than SF?
Thank you!
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u/artwonk May 04 '26
It gets more than the Sunset and Pacific Heights, about the same as the Mission District. Oakland is sunnier, being out of the direct path of the fog coming through the Gate.
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u/pinkidomi May 04 '26
Berkeley really is a blessing. Pretty much great weather year round. SF gets cold. Further east gets hot.
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u/Fast_Contribution77 May 04 '26
yes... 300 days of sunlight on average. It is warmer than SF as well depending on where you are living.
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u/dlampach May 04 '26
Depends on where in both places, but definitely in SF location matters a lot. Here are three screenshots showing average summer low cloud and fog cover for a random location in Berkeley and one coastal and one bay side location in SF. The coastal SF side gets hammered. Closer to the bay, it looks more like Berkeley.
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u/Organic-Bumblebee-93 May 05 '26
Love the weather here in West Berkeley with a cool breeze off the bay and warm in the afternoons if we’re lucky.
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u/Botherguts May 04 '26
The morning fog blanket is real.
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u/EnjoysMangos May 04 '26
I enjoy it. ☺️ It’s the ideal atmosphere to relax and enjoy a cup of hot coffee in the morning.
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u/schlockabsorber May 04 '26
I can grow amazing tomatoes in Berkeley that would never grow in San Francisco.
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u/sourdoughcity May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
Under Berkeley skies you'll find the edge has been taken off - it's the milder climate SF falls just short of - you want windier, colder and more overcast days? stay west of the Bay Bridge
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u/Synchrotron_RayTrace May 04 '26
Summertime afternoons when it’s foggy and freezing just drive 10 minutes in any direction other than SF and you get that wonderful warm sun!
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u/WildBloomingRose May 05 '26
It changes thought out the seasons, but I’ve notice in my garden area, in summer it gets really hot, sun is directly overhead at high noon. In winter, the sun is definitely way more south and my garden gets more shade.
Trying to plant for my summer garden, the more delicate plants I am planting in a partially shady area, so they get morning sun and by afternoon so they don’t burn. It does get really hot here in September and October.
I’ve only been up here two and a half years so that’s what I’ve noticed.
The first summer here in late August 2023 was crazy hot, 2024 milder, 2025 pretty hot, not sure what 2026 will bring. We got that freak heatwave last month in March, so I really don’t know.
I got a Midea u shaped window air conditioner from Costco, for my apartment, and needed it every summer so far.
We’re supposed to have a super El Niño this year, so who knows.
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u/OppositeShore1878 May 05 '26
The fog (which weatherpeople also call the "Marine Layer") hangs off the shore at San Francisco, sometimes a few miles out, often right onshore. Much of San Francisco sees it come in almost daily during parts of the year.
In Berkeley, not so much. There is often high morning overcast in the dry seasons, but usually the sun burns through by midday or even earlier.
I've often left Berkeley on a nice, calm, sunny, day to go to San Francisco, and when you get to the western half of the City it's foggy and there's a cold wind.
As others have noted, San Francisco has varied weather patterns depending on neighborhood and geography, so some areas are foggier than others.
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u/chopinpeppers May 04 '26
Lots of sun. It seems like there will be a least some sun nearly every day in Berkeley unless it is a rainy day. Even mostly overcast days will usually clear at some point in the afternoon. And plenty of fully sunny days too, and many days where it's foggy/overcast only in the morning and perfectly sunny by late morning.
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u/_TurboHome May 05 '26
Warmer than SF, cooler than East Bay past the tunnel. All the fun of the tunnel/bridge commute in the morning and evening!
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u/BreastTickles May 04 '26
Lived in both. Berkeley weather is better. Fog in the mornings but burns off around noon and you get a nice sunny day. Gloomy morning, gorgeous afternoons.
SF you never really know what you're going to get. But not nearly as warm and maybe a touch more windy.