Does it snow in San francisco?

Question

i swear it snows there.

right?

Answer 1

I've lived here 20 years and we've had snow twice, and it was gone within two hours both times.

Answer 2

It's true that snowfall in San Francisco is not exactly common, but it does happen every few years. Not much, and it melts quickly, but it happens. You have to keep in mind that San Francisco is at sea level on the Pacific coast, and it doesn't often snow on the Pacific coast even as far north as Washington.

You also ask "what is cali's definition of snow", which is a much different question. California is huge and has a variety of geography and weather unmatched by any other state.

The 1960 Winter Olympics were held at Squaw Valley USA, which is in..... you guessed it, California. (about a 3 1/2 hour drive from San Francisco)

As you might imagine they don't have the Winter Olympics in places where it doesn't snow A LOT!

You may know the story of the Donner Party, which got trapped in the snow back in the Old West days and people wound up eating each other to survive. That was California in the same general area as Squaw Valley USA.

The linked picture is of snow fall in Death Valley, CA

EDIT:

The other poster who showed only 11 snowfalls in 100 years is not wrong, but that is "measurable" snowfall. If snow falls and doesn't accumulate then it doesn't get recorded as snowfall. Nathan P and I are counting the times when it fell but then melted right away.

EDIT 2:

The new answer jogged my memory to something in the wikipedia article on San Fran. It says that within the city there are a multitude of microclimates due to geography. It is entirely possible that in one neighborhood there has only been snowfall twice in 20 years, and in another there is snowfall every 2 or 3 years. (2nd link)

Answer 3

Depends on your version or definition of "Snow".

Lots of "Snow" inside clubs and at parties.

The stuff that falls as frozen water from the sky? Very rarely. Very rarely.

This link is for a site that lists the few days it did drop frozen water from the sky:

http://ggweather.com/sf/snow.html

all........eleven of them over a period of 100 years.

Answer 4

yes it does :) im from the Bay Area and it definitely snows.