There is a weather page with forecast and webcams avaialable on our website at:
http://www.dolphinclub.org/weather/
Other good sources of weather include:
A particularly good source of weather information is Windy. It’s available as an app, or on the web and it will give you beautiful maps of the weather around the world.
The Bay has several microclimates. There are frequently significant differences in temperature, winds, and fog patterns within relatively short distances.
It’s not uncommon for the wind to be howling off Alcatraz, while just a few miles away at the ferry terminal it might be calm, warm and sunny.
There is much to learn about the weather in San Francisco Bay. For a nice write up of the seasons, read this in-depth article on San Francisco Weather from Boartsports California
Spring
Spring typically features sunny and calm mornings, followed by very windy afternoons. In March, the interior starts to warm up, and as warm air rises over the central valley during the day it sucks in cold ocean air which in turn creates strong winds from the ocean. Sometimes the wind kicks up before noon. Be careful about going on long rows to Sausalito or Angel Island during this time, or you may find it’s too windy to return. Generally spring mornings are a great time to row.
Summer
By May, fog starts to become an increasingly common phenomenon in the afternoons, and by July it’ll persist overnight leading to grey mornings and grey days. During the summer months it’ll often be grey in the morning with the sun burning off late morning, then windy and sunny in the afternoon with fog returning later in the day. But despite this, the water is relatively warm! Summer months are a great time to paddle as it doesn’t matter so much when you get splashed.
Fall
As summer winds down, September through November often give us some of the most pleasant weather in San Francisco. Calm waters and clear skies in the morning return after months of grey. Afternoon winds start to subside, but they are still common well into November.
Winter
Winter is a mixed bag, and while it brings some storms and rain, we’ll often have some of the calmest most sublime days during these months. Mornings can be calm, and afternoons can be calm too. Watch out for winds from the north which, even when light, can make the water outside the cove quite bumpy. If you pay attention to the weather forecast and choose your days, winter can be the best season to row and paddle!
Fog
Fog is a common phenomenon on San Francisco Bay, and it seems ever present during the summer months. For the most part, classic San Francisco fog blows in a couple hundred feet above the water and visibility remains fairly good.
But occasionally, fog can become compressed and lie very close to the water. Or it can just be very thick. If you can’t reliably see shore on the other side of the fog bank, you should think twice about venturing into it.
Another thing to be aware of is that winds often increase near the fog line. As the fog advances, cold air is pushed under the warmer air and as it does so it increases in speed. Be aware of this – if you see fog coming in towards you, it will probably get windier.
Swell
Large storms out in the Gulf of Alaska can create large swells that travel thousands of miles. The Bay is well protected, but on days with large swell we may have crashing waves on our beach, and surge around our dock. Be careful on such days.
