California is one of North America’s sunniest states and enjoys a Mediterranean-style climate. Generally, Californian summers are warm and dry, while winters are reasonably mild and moderately wet.

Northern California, including San Francisco:
The northern coast is generally cooler and wetter than coastal areas further south. Along the coast, sea fog occurs and this reduces the amount of sunshine hours in both summer and winter compared to further inland. The city of San Francisco has cool to mild summers, which is caused by the sea fog which regularly washes over San Francisco Bay and can be chilly and/or foggy at any time of year. However, frost and snow are not common on the coast, and winters in much of California are fairly mild and moderately wet. However, more mountainous parts – such as Sierra Nevada, experience more rainfall and at greater heights this falls as snow, offering the opportunity for winter activities.

Central and Southern California, including Los Angeles:
In central and southern California summers tend to be very dry. There may be short-lived spells of cold weather in wintertime. Los Angeles suffers a city smog – a mixture of pollution and fog – which is at its worst from July to September. The smog lingers because the light winds are not strong enough to blow it past the surrounding hills.