Pacific Coast Sep or Oct?

[MsBST2]

Are the waters calmer in September or October?

 

Thank you

[CruiserBruce]

They can be rough ANY month. It is not predictable. 

 

Overall weather will be better in September. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

It depends, September and October are both still in hurricane season. While the hurricanes never get as far north as California, remnants of the storms still effect waves, swells and weather in CA. In terms of strictly weather, I think the best four consecutive weeks of weather in So Cal are the last two weeks of Sept, first two of October.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Not enough to make any difference

[mauimary]

We have done three Pacific Coastals. Twice in Sept and one in Oct.  Weather was good for all three.  These are the best months in the Pacific NW.  We are 3/3 for getting down the Columbia River into Astoria.  Wouldn’t worry too much about hurricanes.  We don’t.  May get some rain but generally it’s pretty nice. 

[dfields1814]

I don't think it makes much of a difference

[FranciscoFamily]

How about November?

[CruiserBruce]

We had record, or near record high temps here this last last Oct 31, Nov 1 and 2. Temps near 80 in San Francisco. Major fires started Nov 8, and burned for two weeks, but it was getting cooler as the month proceeded. Rain about the 20th.

 

But those conditions can't be expected every time. November is the start of winter, SF has seen significant rain in the last third of October. LA is generally warmer and drier.

 

To get the better overall look, Google search weather for your ports. For example "San Francisco November weather".

[wheezedr]

In SF September and October are historically the warmest months.  By late October we sometimes begin to see some rain, although of late that has not been the case.  Technically the rainy season begins in November.  In some recent years  there has not been any rainy season.

[trophy_23]

We have done pacific coastals the last 3 years in Sep/Oct and they were some of the calmest cruises I have been on.  Can’t really predict.  Book the itinerary you like and hope for the best!

[cloverose]

On 1/2/2019 at 8:49 PM, trophy_23 said:

We have done pacific coastals the last 3 years in Sep/Oct and they were some of the calmest cruises I have been on.  Can’t really predict.  Book the itinerary you like and hope for the best!

From your experience, how chilly will the weather be for tours on the San Francisco Bay or in open hop on-off buses? We will be cruising from Vancouver to LA the first week in October and are wondering what to pack.

 

[CruiserBruce]

29 minutes ago, cloverose said:

From your experience, how chilly will the weather be for tours on the San Francisco Bay or in open hop on-off buses? We will be cruising from Vancouver to LA the first week in October and are wondering what to pack.

 

 

You could Google search this, but as mentioned above a couple of times, September and October are probably the best months of the year, weather wise,  for San Francisco. And I have lived in the Bay Area for 62 years.

 

"Chilly" is a subjective opinion...as you are from South Carolina, you will generally note much less humidity in that time frame...that is when we get our off shore winds, which can drop the humidity to dangerously low levels. For history, look at our last two years of severe fires.

 

Layers is always a sound idea, particularly for the wide area you will be covering on your cruise.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Another point I always notice when we visit the "City" is the downtown area is nothing but high rises.  So when it might be comfy sitting in the sun by the water down by the pier.  It is chilly in the shadow of the buildings with wind blowing down the "canyon."  I always take a sweatshirt and light jacket even in the summer.  Best thing is CA weather is very predictable so 48 hours out you will know exactly what to expect.    

[trophy_23]

On 1/25/2019 at 5:07 PM, cloverose said:

From your experience, how chilly will the weather be for tours on the San Francisco Bay or in open hop on-off buses? We will be cruising from Vancouver to LA the first week in October and are wondering what to pack.

 

Our cruises were chilly in the morning and evening and out on promenade deck in the breeze.  We did spend some time at the outdoor pool on board and it was comfortable.  In San Francisco it was beautiful, t-shirt and shorts weather, butgot cool on the bay ferry and when the fog rolled in.  Bring layers is the best advice!  Have a great time.

[cloverose]

10 minutes ago, trophy_23 said:

Our cruises were chilly in the morning and evening and out on promenade deck in the breeze.  We did spend some time at the outdoor pool on board and it was comfortable.  In San Francisco it was beautiful, t-shirt and shorts weather, butgot cool on the bay ferry and when the fog rolled in.  Bring layers is the best advice!  Have a great time.

Thank you for your pointers! This was exactly what I needed!

[cloverose]

On 1/25/2019 at 8:43 PM, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Another point I always notice when we visit the "City" is the downtown area is nothing but high rises.  So when it might be comfy sitting in the sun by the water down by the pier.  It is chilly in the shadow of the buildings with wind blowing down the "canyon."  I always take a sweatshirt and light jacket even in the summer.  Best thing is CA weather is very predictable so 48 hours out you will know exactly what to expect.    

Thanks for your suggestions!