San Francisco Thanksgiving Weather 2026

When is Thanksgiving, and which days does this forecast cover?

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026, and this page covers the whole holiday weekend around it. The forecast runs from Wednesday’s getaway through Sunday’s trip home, because a storm on any of those days can change your plans. Each day’s forecast uses the hours people are usually outside, from early flights and turkey trots to the drive home after dinner.

The forecast is for downtown San Francisco, which is a good match for the eastern half of the city, Union Square and the Embarcadero. The west side, from the Richmond and the Sunset out to Ocean Beach, is usually a few degrees cooler. It also gets a storm’s rain and wind first, because storms arrive from the ocean.

In summer, the inland valleys are often 15 to 25 degrees hotter than the city, but by late November that gap has mostly closed. Afternoons in Oakland, Walnut Creek and San Jose are usually within a few degrees of San Francisco, though their nights are colder.

Will it rain on Thanksgiving in San Francisco?

Most Thanksgivings in San Francisco are dry, and NOAA’s downtown records show rain on about 25% of them. In about half of the wet years, the rain was only a light shower.

Rain is much more likely somewhere in the five-day holiday weekend. In about 80% of years, rain fell on at least one day from Wednesday through Sunday. So the more useful question is which day a storm arrives, and whether that day is a travel day.

The last few Thanksgivings show how much the weather can change from year to year. In 2018, smoke from the Camp Fire brought nearly two weeks of air quality alerts, and rain finally arrived the day before Thanksgiving. The next year was unusually cold, with showers and a high of only 48°F. Then every Thanksgiving from 2020 through 2025 stayed dry in downtown San Francisco.

Most November storms are smaller than the atmospheric rivers of January and February, the long plumes of Pacific moisture that bring the heaviest rain. A typical November storm passes in 12 to 24 hours. Wind picks up ahead of the front, which is the leading edge of the storm. A few hours of steady rain follow, then showers, then clear and cold air.

Since storms pass so quickly, their timing matters more than the daily rain chance. A storm overnight Wednesday can leave Thursday bright and clear, while one on Saturday night can make Sunday’s trip to the airport the hardest of the week.

How cold is San Francisco on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving in downtown San Francisco averages a high near 61°F and a low near 49°F. Those temperatures are mild compared with most of the country, but the hours most people spend outside are the cool ones.

A turkey trot or an early walk starts in the upper 40s or low 50s. The afternoon stays near 60 for a few hours. The temperature then drops quickly after sunset at about 4:52 p.m., just as people head out to dinner.

The holiday can also be much warmer or cooler than average. The warmest Thanksgiving since 1942 reached 77°F in downtown San Francisco. Days like that come with offshore wind, the dry wind from the northeast that brings the city its warmest fall weather. The coolest was 2019, when the high reached only 48°F.

Nights inland are much colder than in the city. Clear, calm nights in the inland valleys can drop into the 30s. A late drive home from Walnut Creek, Livermore or Napa may mean frost on the windshield. In the city itself, the holiday morning has not dropped below 42°F since at least 1942.

How the temperature feels depends on sun and wind. A sunny 60 out of the wind feels warm, but the same 60 with a breeze off the bay feels much cooler. Dress for the coldest hour you will spend outside, not for the afternoon high.

Will the Thanksgiving king tide flood the San Francisco waterfront?

The king tides of Thanksgiving week will bring the bay higher than usual, and low spots along the shoreline may get some water. The risk is highest if a storm arrives near high tide.

A king tide is one of the highest tides of the year, and California’s King Tides Project lists November 24 to 26 as king tide days. NOAA predicts high tides of about 7 feet near the Golden Gate in the late morning on all three days. That is more than a foot above an average high tide.

The bay has also been higher than the predictions this fall. In the first week of November, NOAA’s water level readings near the Golden Gate averaged about a foot above the predicted tide. If that continues, the king tides could reach about 8 feet. Our guide to El Niño and Bay Area sea level explains why the bay is higher than usual.

A storm makes high water much more likely to flood. Low air pressure and wind blowing toward shore push water higher, which forecasters call storm surge. Heavy rain also cannot drain when the outlets of storm drains are underwater. Low spots along the Embarcadero and the bay shoreline can then flood for an hour or two around high tide.

If a storm is in the forecast for the middle of the week, compare its timing with the late-morning high tides. Watch for a coastal flood advisory from the National Weather Service, which means minor flooding is expected along the shore.

Will weather delay Thanksgiving flights at SFO or drives out of town?

Weather can delay flights at SFO over Thanksgiving, mostly when a storm brings low clouds and strong wind. Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest weeks of the year at SFO, so even a small slowdown can cause delays.

SFO’s two main arrival runways sit very close together, so the FAA does not allow planes to land on them side by side. SFO says it can handle about 45 arrivals an hour in fair weather and about 36 when low clouds hide the approach. When arrivals fall behind, the FAA holds San Francisco flights at their departure airports, which is called a ground delay program.

Around Thanksgiving, low clouds usually come with storms rather than summer fog. SFO has had very low clouds or poor visibility at some point on about 12% of Thanksgivings. The Sunday after Thanksgiving had them in about 35% of years, on a day when most flights are already full. Before you leave, check your airline and the FAA’s airport status page.

On the road, wind is the main weather problem around the bay. Gusts ahead of a storm hit hardest on the bridges, on open stretches of Highway 101 and Interstate 80, and along the coast. Vans, trucks and other tall vehicles feel them first.

Driving to the Sierra for the holiday weekend can mean snow. Late-fall storms often bring snow to Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and Highway 50 over Echo Summit. When they do, Caltrans sets chain controls, rules about which vehicles need tire chains.

The first level lets cars and light trucks with snow tires on the drive wheels go without chains, as long as they carry them. Under the second level, four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles can skip chains only with snow tires on all four wheels, and they must still carry them. The strictest level requires chains on every vehicle, and Caltrans often closes the highway before it gets that far. Carry chains from November through April, and check Caltrans QuickMap before you leave.

In the Central Valley, tule fog is a thick ground fog that forms on calm, cold nights after rain. It can cut visibility on Interstate 5 and Highway 99 to almost nothing. In 2025, it lasted from November 24 to December 9, right through Thanksgiving week. The fog usually thins by late morning, so a later start is the easiest way to avoid the worst of it. Our tule fog guide explains how it forms and why it gets so thick.

Is transit running in San Francisco on Thanksgiving, and what is closed?

Transit runs on reduced holiday schedules on Thanksgiving Day. Muni runs a weekend schedule, BART runs Sunday service from 8 a.m. to midnight, and Caltrain runs a weekend schedule. The SF Bay Ferry and the Golden Gate Ferry do not run at all, so plan another way to reach Sausalito or the East Bay.

On Friday, Caltrain runs a modified schedule and both ferry systems run weekend service. Check each agency’s holiday page before you travel, because holiday schedules can change.

Several big indoor attractions close on Thanksgiving Day, which matters if a museum was your rainy-day plan. Alcatraz, the de Young, the Legion of Honor and the Exploratorium are all closed. The San Francisco Zoo is open every day of the year, and the California Academy of Sciences has opened with shorter hours in past years.

Where can I go in San Francisco on a dry or rainy Thanksgiving?

A clear Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year for a walk in San Francisco. Most of the summer fog is gone, the low sun feels warm out of the wind, and the air after a storm is very clear. Good choices include Lands End, the path from Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais and the East Bay hills.

Plan to be out in the late morning or early afternoon. Sunset is around 4:52 p.m., and it gets cold quickly once the sun goes down. On the west side of the city, wind off the ocean makes Ocean Beach and Lands End feel colder than downtown on most days.

Late fall is also the start of sneaker wave season on the coast. A sneaker wave is a wave much bigger than the ones before it that rushes far up the beach with little warning. If the National Weather Service issues a beach hazards statement, its alert for dangerous surf, stay well back from the water. Our sneaker wave guide explains how to stay safe on the beach.

If the forecast is wet, look for a dry window. November storms often bring one band of steady rain followed by showers, and the hourly timeline shows whether there is a dry stretch before dinner. A walk in light rain is fine with a good rain jacket. Trails get muddy after heavy rain, and steep ones stay slippery for a day or two.

The holiday lights season starts on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Ghirardelli Square lights its tree at 4:45 p.m. that day, just before sunset. The Illuminate SF light art trail also opens that day and runs through January 31. If Friday is wet, the lights will still be there on a drier night.

What should I wear for Thanksgiving in San Francisco?

Plan for a temperature range of about 15 degrees across the day. The temperature starts in the upper 40s in the morning, reaches about 60 in the afternoon and falls back into the low 50s after dark. A warm middle layer under a jacket that blocks wind works for almost any Thanksgiving, with a hood if rain is in the forecast.

In gusty weather, a hooded jacket works better than an umbrella, which is hard to hold onto on the waterfront. Wear shoes that can handle wet sidewalks if rain is possible, and keep a dry layer in the car or your bag for the trip home. The late-afternoon sun is low and right in your eyes when you drive west, so bring sunglasses too.

Turkey trot runners and spectators need different clothes on a cold morning. Runners warm up quickly and can start a little cold, with a layer they can take off. Anyone standing at the start or along the course needs more than they expect, especially before the sun rises above the trees.

The San Francisco Turkey Trot starts at the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park, and most of its course is on grass and dirt trails. After a wet week, expect mud and wear shoes with some grip. If you are running in San Jose instead, the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot has its own race-morning forecast.

Can I use my fireplace in the Bay Area on Thanksgiving?

You can use a fireplace on Thanksgiving unless the Bay Area Air District has called a Spare the Air alert. The district calls an alert when smoke and other fine particles are expected to build up to unhealthy levels. During an alert, it is illegal to burn wood in a fireplace, wood stove or pellet stove. The rule applies to alerts in every season, not just winter.

Cold, calm, clear nights after a storm are when smoke builds up the most. The ground cools quickly, cold air settles near the surface, and smoke from chimneys stays in the neighborhood instead of rising away. Those are also the coldest nights, when people most want a fire.

Before you light a fire on a calm, clear night, check the alerts at Spare the Air. If you have asthma or another lung condition, keep your windows closed on those nights.