San Diego weather
The short answer is that it is mild, most of the time, almost all year. Here is the forecast for the week ahead at the house, and what each season actually feels like once you are here.
The week ahead
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What the seasons are actually like
Summer, June to September
The busy season, and the reason most people come. Warm days, low humidity by most standards, and long light evenings. Mission Bay is sheltered and shallow, so the water is at its most swimmable now, and it is noticeably calmer than the ocean side. This is also when the backyard earns its keep: the fire pit after dark, dinner outside, ping pong until someone calls it.
Autumn, October and November
Quietly the best time to visit. The crowds thin out, the marine layer has gone, and the days often stay warm well into October. If you are flexible about school holidays, this is the stretch to aim for.
Winter, December to February
Mild rather than cold. Days are still comfortable for walking the bay path, and the beach is yours. This is when what little rain San Diego gets tends to arrive, usually in short spells rather than whole washed-out days. Evenings are cool enough that you will want the fire pit lit.
Spring, March to May
Green, bright and uncrowded early on. Towards the end of spring the marine layer starts showing up in the mornings, which brings us to the thing nobody warns you about.
May Gray and June Gloom. For a stretch of late spring and early summer, a low bank of cloud sits over the coast in the morning and usually burns off by lunchtime. It is cloud, not rain, it is cooler rather than cold, and five miles inland it is often sunny the whole time. If you wake up to flat gray skies in June, have a slow breakfast and the odds are good the afternoon is yours.
What to pack
Layers, more than you think. The single most common surprise is how much cooler it gets near the water once the sun drops. A sweater or light jacket is worth packing even in August, and you will want it in the backyard in the evening.
Sun protection all year. Mild does not mean weak sun. It catches people out in January as readily as July.
Less beach kit than you would expect. Chairs, a canopy, a wagon, coolers, towels and sand toys are already at the house, along with bikes and scooters, so there is no need to travel with any of it. The guest guide lists what is here.
A wetsuit if you are serious about the ocean. The open water is cool most of the year and locals wear them. Mission Bay, a couple of minutes from the door, is the warmer and calmer option, and the better one with small children.