Chapter 7: The Bypassed East

San Francisco's climate can be compared to that of a cool-summer Mediterranean. It is famous for its cool winds and fog. Temperatures exceed 75 °F (24 °C) on average only 28 days a year, which makes San Francisco weather on the cool side all year round. The dry period of May to October is mild to warm, with average high temperatures of 64–71 °F (18–22 °C) and lows of 51–56 °F (11–13 °C). The rainy period of November to April is slightly cooler, with high temperatures of 58–64 °F (14–18 °C) and lows of 46–51 °F (8–11 °C). On average, there are 67 rainy days a year, and annual precipitation averages 23.8 inches (604.52 mm). Snow is extraordinarily rare, with only 10 instances recorded since 1852, most recently in 1976.


Few other cities in America or, for that matter, the world are as blessed as San Francisco when it comes to its potential to draw sustenance from local sources of food. The surrounding area is a vast cornucopia distinguished by its mild, Mediterranean climate, fertile soils, well-developed (though problematic) sources of water and a sophisticated, entrepreneurial group of farmers and ranchers. Twenty million tons of food a year are produced on the roughly ten million acres of agricultural land within 100 miles of the Golden Gate – many times more than San Francisco or the Bay Area could consume. This includes more than 80 different crops and livestock products, not counting their myriad varieties.


Resources:

http://www.farmland.org/programs/states/ca/Feature%20Stories/documents/Chap_1_foodshed.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco#Climate