San Rafael (CA) Temperature by Month
San Rafael in California, United States of America sees significant seasonal temperature differences, with daytime highs between 14°C (57°F) in January and 26°C (79°F) in September, averaging 20°C (68°F) annually. Explore the full monthly breakdown below.
San Rafael Monthly Temperatures
Depending on the time of the year, temperatures range from warm to mild in San Rafael. Nighttime lows follow the same pattern, ranging from 12°C (54°F) to 6°C (43°F).
The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in San Rafael by month:
The minimum temperature is often recorded between 4 AM and 6 AM, while the highest temperature is usually reached at 3 PM, when the sun's heating effect is strongest. September, the warmest month, gets 270 hours of sunshine.
The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:
Temperature: San Rafael vs the United States of America
The map below shows the annual temperature across the United States of America. You can also select individual months if you want to compare a specific time of year.
very warm
warm
pleasant
moderate
cold
very cold
San Rafael vs World: Temperature Compared
San Rafael's average annual maximum temperature is 20°C (68°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:
Seville, Spain averages 23°C (73°F) a year — one of the warmer cities in Western Europe, with long hot summers.
Toronto, Canada averages 13°C (55°F) annually, with cold snowy winters balanced by genuinely warm summers.
Chicago, USA averages 15°C (59°F) annually — known for extreme seasonal swings, from bitterly cold winters to warm summers.
Brisbane, Australia averages 26°C (79°F) a year, with warm winters and hot, humid summers.
What Does the Temperature Feel Like in San Rafael?
Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story — humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.
In San Rafael, January is the coolest month, with average highs of 14°C (57°F) and humidity around 80% — considered very high. In September, the warmest month, temperatures average 26°C (79°F) with 73% humidity — conditions that feel high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.
Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.
The readings come from a range of sources — land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.
For cities and regions with significant elevation, altitude is one of the biggest factors shaping local temperatures. As a rule of thumb, temperatures fall by around 6°C for every 1,000 metres gained — so a city at 2,000 metres will typically be around 12°C cooler than a city at sea level in the same region. Higher ground also tends to see more dramatic day-to-night temperature swings, since thinner air loses heat faster after sunset.
For more on San Rafael's weather — including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity — visit our San Rafael climate page.
