It's Just Not Fair (Coastal CA Weather)

[Midpack]

I keep looking but there's just no place I can find, that we can afford, that provides anything like the moderate climate of coastal CA. The average temperature for the year is about the same, but the difference between San Francisco and St Louis couldn't be much starker. I read a joke somewhere years ago that the St Louis Chamber of Commerce could leigitmately claim the same average temperature as San Francisco.

I fully understand why, but it's still not fair...

 

[haha]

I keep looking but there's just no place I can find, that we can afford, that provides anything like the moderate climate of coastal CA. The average temperature for the year is about the same, but the difference between San Francisco and St Louis couldn't be much starker. I read a joke somewhere years ago that the St Louis Chamber of Commerce could leigitmately claim the same average temperature as San Francisco.

I fully understand why, but it's still not fair...

Of course it is fair. Move there, and pay what it costs, or stay where you are and fry in the summer, freeze in the winter.

Really attractive things that many people want are always expensive. I believe that the differential between the very attractive and the so-so will increase until some pox wipes us out. Anyone who can afford to live where they would really like to should move asap, or just realize that life is unfair, so what. No place costs $0/sqft, so just decrease space until you can afford San Francisco or the East Bay or whatever suits your fancy.

Ha

 

[NYEXPAT]

The central pacific coast of Peru (Lima) is about the same as San Diego, low of 60 in the winter and high about 82 in the summer. Also no rain and Multi-Million dollar views for 1/3 the price! Luckily, When I bought prices were 1/3-1/4 of what they are now.

 

[W2R]

I have never been as cold in my life, as I was during my six years in SF. The cold there is wet and bone-chilling, and it was never warm enough in the summer to feel really warm. Fog looks great, but it is so, so cold clear to the bone.

There, now do you feel better? . I am telling the truth!

 

[Chuckanut]

Keep in mind that San Francisco dammed Yosemite National Park for their water supply.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Shaughnessy_Dam

Do you want to live in a city that would do such a thing?

 

[FIREd]

I have never been as cold in my life, as I was during my six years in SF. The cold there is wet and bone-chilling, and it was never warm enough in the summer to feel really warm. Fog looks great, but it is so, so cold clear to the bone.

There, now do you feel better? . I am telling the truth!

You must have lived in the western part of the city. The bayside is much nicer.

 

[W2R]

You must have lived in the western part of the city. The bayside is much nicer.

Never lived on the bayside in SF, you're right. . Lived near the eastern end of GG park and spent time near the ocean.

I did live in Berkeley, on the other side of the bay, but was cold there too. Maybe even colder. Brrrrrrrr

 

[Lakewood90712]

Looking for retirement location ? Plenty of less populated places all up and down the coast at low prices, along with no good jobs or business op. (San Louis Obispo , Oxnard, Carpentiria, San Simmion)

If you need to keep working at present , stay put for now and move when retired. The employment market vs. home prices in the bay area and los angeles is still a bad deal, even with depressed prices . Cost of living in metro areas is high.

 

[2035]

Monterey has some affordable places.

 

[2035]

Seattle is much colder than SF.

 

[paul h]

I grew up in the east bay. You need to look at not only the physical climate, but the social climate and cost of living. It wasn't that bad growing up in the 70's and 80's, but even with a decent salary the cost of living the past couple decades is just crazy.

Moved to AK 15 years ago and honestly haven't wanted to move back once. I haven't sat down and run the numbers but even with a very good salary, if you doulbed my income I'd likely take a hit to my std of living if I moved back to the bay area. I will admit I am looking at a tropical location to spend Nov-March when I retire, or semi-retire.

 

[rodi]

Looking for retirement location ? Plenty of less populated places all up and down the coast at low prices, along with no good jobs or business op. (San Louis Obispo , Oxnard, Carpentiria, San Simmion)

If you need to keep working at present , stay put for now and move when retired. The employment market vs. home prices in the bay area and los angeles is still a bad deal, even with depressed prices . Cost of living in metro areas is high.

This.

But I love living near the coast in CA. (San Diego.) Except for May-Gray and June Gloom.

 

[photoguy]

How close do you want to be to the coast? and what do you see as affordable?

There's definitely pockets of less expensive housing but pretty much everybody in CA needs to compromise on something when it comes to home buying (unless you win the IPO jackpot).

 

[MichaelB]

I grew up in the east bay. You need to look at not only the physical climate, but the social climate and cost of living. It wasn't that bad growing up in the 70's and 80's, but even with a decent salary the cost of living the past couple decades is just crazy.

Moved to AK 15 years ago and honestly haven't wanted to move back once. I haven't sat down and run the numbers but even with a very good salary, if you doulbed my income I'd likely take a hit to my std of living if I moved back to the bay area. I will admit I am looking at a tropical location to spend Nov-March when I retire, or semi-retire.

hi Paul H, welcome to the forum. Why not stop by here and tell us a little about yourself?

 

[MasterBlaster]

I have never been as cold in my life, as I was during my six years in SF. The cold there is wet and bone-chilling, and it was never warm enough in the summer to feel really warm. Fog looks great, but it is so, so cold clear to the bone.

There, now do you feel better? . I am telling the truth!

I'd have to agree with you (and Mark Twain). As someone from SoCal it's just way too cold there in the summer. Very weird weather.

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" <Mark Twain>

 

[paul h]

Fog and wind makes for the nastiest bone chilling cold. I've spent a fair bit of time in the Arctic and while -42 ambient is bitter cold, and -30 with the windchill dropping it to -90 is just plain nasty, the absolute worst bonechilling cold is pre-winter, imagine 33-35F with drizzle and wind.

 

[haha]

Fog and wind makes for the nastiest bone chilling cold. I've spent a fair bit of time in the Arctic and while -42 ambient is bitter cold, and -30 with the windchill dropping it to -90 is just plain nasty, the absolute worst bonechilling cold is pre-winter, imagine 33-35F with drizzle and wind.

That's Seattle on quite a few winter days. To me, it's better than extreme cold.

Ha

 

[Seabird]

You must have lived in the western part of the city. The bayside is much nicer.

I lived in San Leandro for 17 years and the only way to sum it up is with a quote from Mark Twain. "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"
The natives call it natural air conditioning but I call it freezing your rear off.

 

[FIREd]

I lived in San Leandro for 17 years and the only way to sum it up is with a quote from Mark Twain. "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"
The natives call it natural air conditioning but I call it freezing your rear off.

After spending the last 3 months in SF, I can say that I have only felt cold a handful of times. It can get very chilly when the fog rolls in, but I live in an area where we rarely see the fog, so it has not been a problem for me so far. In fact, I am feeling quite warm right now. It's 73F inside the apartment, even with the windows wide open. Too hot for me.

 

[W2R]

After spending the last 3 months in SF, I can say that I have only felt cold a handful of times. It can get very chilly when the fog rolls in, but I live in an area where we rarely see the fog, so it has not been a problem for me so far. In fact, I am feeling quite warm right now. It's 73F inside the apartment, even with the windows wide open. Too hot for me.

But FIREd, it is summertime. After spending any one of my six cold, cold winters there, that nice refreshing summer weather was not warm enough to warm me up, anyway.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

After spending the last 3 months in SF, I can say that I have only felt cold a handful of times. It can get very chilly when the fog rolls in, but I live in an area where we rarely see the fog, so it has not been a problem for me so far. In fact, I am feeling quite warm right now. It's 73F inside the apartment, even with the windows wide open. Too hot for me.

W2R, the same thing crossed my mind. It's summertime in the northern hemisphere. FEREd, so you have been COLD only a handful of times in the SUMMER in San Francisco. I have not spent that much time in CA, but I would be putting my money on LA south to San Diego as the ideal areas for climate. Even inland a little like Escondido.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have been to SF a few times, and have not lived there, and wonder why people say it is so bad. The average hi/lo is higher than in Seattle and Portland, with less rain to boot. See table below, listing temperature in cities I have often visited. It may be windier in SF, and perhaps it has a lower windchill.

City	Jan Ave Lo/Hi	Jan Precip.
Portland	38/47​	6.14"
Seattle	37/47​	4.81"
San Fran	46/57​	4.50"
Sequim	32/47​	2.04"

When I was contemplating a move to the Puget Sound, one place I looked at was Sequim. Being in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains, it enjoys drier climate and more sunshine than elsewhere around the sound.

 

[haha]

I have been to SF a few times, and have not lived there, and wonder why people say it is so bad. The average hi/lo is higher than in Seattle and Portland, with less rain to boot. See table below, listing temperature in cities I have often visited. It may be windier in SF, and perhaps it has a lower windchill.

City Jan Ave Lo/Hi Precip.

Portland 38/47​

6.14"

Seattle 37/47​

4.81"

San Fran 46/57​

4.50"

Sequim 32/47​

2.04"

When I was contemplating a move to the Puget Sound, one place I looked at was Sequim. Being in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains, it enjoys drier climate and more sunshine than elsewhere around the sound.

Sequim is also fall asleep boring.

BTW, most people do not complain about San Franciso, which has been a magnet for people from all over America and the world for a very long time. SF knocking is just an E-R board pastime.

For me quick check on how popular or unpopular someplace is would be its real estate price/sq ft.

Ha

 

[FIREd]

Certainly each one of us has his/her own tolerance for hot and cold. I prefer cold by a long shot. Yesterday was a beautiful day in the Bay Area. I wore a t-shirt and was still sweating it out. But I saw some people on the subway wearing down jackets and wool hats. Obviously, they thought Mark Twain had it right. But as W2R said, I may never feel warm again after spending the winter here. Stay tuned.

 

[NW-Bound]

Eh, I have visited and stayed in Sequim and nearby Port Angeles a few times. It is quite lively and crowded compared to my place up in the boonies. I would not have to drive 40 miles to get groceries for one thing.

Another place I considered was Port Ludlow. Even went to look at houses there, but there was nothing on the market then. This was back in 2004-2005, as I remember making the trip before Katrina.