San Francisco Fog Is Actually Lovely
everyone warned me about san francisco fog.
"you'll freeze in summer." "the microclimates are wild." "pack layers, always."
they were right about the facts. wrong about the conclusion.
the reality
the fog is real. karl the fog, as locals call it. rolling in through the golden gate, blanketing the city.
some days you can't see the bridge at all. other days, just the towers peeking above the clouds.
it's cool year-round. "summer" is an optimistic term here. (locals joke: the coldest winter i ever spent was a summer in san francisco.)
why i actually kind of love it
the mystery: there's something about fog rolling through hills. the city appearing and disappearing. it feels like living somewhere magical.
the excuse for layers: i love sweaters. san francisco is a year-round sweater city. perfect.
the microclimates: you can be freezing in one neighborhood and warm three blocks away. it keeps things interesting.
the golden hour: when the fog clears and the sun hits the city? unreal. golden light on painted ladies. worth the gray.
the challenges
i won't pretend it's all good.
- it's never quite warm (even in "summer")
- packing for a day out is complicated
- sometimes you just want sun
- the damp seeps into everything
my coping strategies
- layers, layers, layers
- knowing which neighborhoods have different weather
- embracing foggy mornings with boba
- celebrating sunny days like they're holidays
- owning a good light jacket (always in my bag)
the comparison to sydney
sydney has more clear days. beach weather. brutal summer heat that i kind of miss now.
san francisco is mild. cool. damp. never too extreme. i can handle that.
but ay nako, i miss swimming at bondi without freezing.
the aesthetic
something about foggy mornings and boba shops and working on laptops... it fits. san francisco weather matches my vibe.
i'm a software person. i'm inside a lot anyway. the weather gives me permission.
verdict
would recommend san francisco to: introverts, layer enthusiasts, people who don't need beach weather.
would not recommend to: sun-seekers, people who want seasons, those who hate surprises.
i'm in the first category. it works for me.
currently in a boba shop while the fog rolls by outside. laptop open. brown sugar milk tea in hand. this is the life.