I grew up right outside of San Francisco and was conditioned to dress in layers as the weather is so dependent on where in the city you are. I never understood why though. Thanks!
In: 8
It’s complex, but primarily it’s the result of having many different types of surface combined with changes in elevation (hills & tall buildings) that affect airflow.
Asphalt, grass, woods, and especially water heat up at different rates when hit by the sun, and cool down differently as well; consistent shading, like from hills, affects this, too. This leads to somewhat predictable airflows – hot air rises, cold air rushes to fill in, etc. This changes temperatures of the air, which interacts with humidity to create or destroy fog. Fog itself scatters sunlight so it can keep its own area cooler even if nearby, where fog never formed, it’s a bit warmer. San Francisco temperatures also tend to be around some inflection points (none of this would matter much if it were consistently 95F) so the differences appear more drastic.
So, basically, complex interaction of the many different things present in SF that aren’t there in, like, Houston.
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