Planning a trip to S. cal in 2008 sometime from June through Sept. Any thoughts on best month? heat/rain/crowds/fog/fire season/things being closed are the obvious variables. Am I correct that Sept is best to avoid heat/fog/fire/crowds but might be a little rainier than earlier in summer and some things might have shorter hrs??

If you could be a little more specific about the areas you want to visit, it would be easier to give you more precise information.

In general though, coastal areas will be milder than the inland valleys (maybe by 20 degrees) and much, cooler that the high and low desert areas that can hit triple digits.

Summer is not the rainy season...winter is.

Crowds? It really depends on where you are going.

Fog? Pretty much a non-issue unless you are talking about "June gloom" in the L.A. basin. This usually burns off by noon but returns in the late afternoon/early evening.

Fire season? Generally more threat during summer and early fall, particularly if exacerbated by Santa Ana winds from the desert. This part is completely unpredictable, although you might see more Santa Anas in September.

I know this is very general, but I hope it helps some.

Southern California is crowded no matter what time of the year you are there. Summer temps can vary. I have been there when it was blazing hot and I have been there when it was unseasonably mild. Also, it doesn't rain during the summer in So Cal.

September can be one of the hottest months in So. California but after Labor Day is much less crowded. It's really my favorite time to go to the beach. Especially in the beach communities, hotel rates drop quite a bit. June is known for being gloomy as others have stated so if you are coming primarily for the beach, I would stay away from that month.

Not sure what you mean about shorter hours-most businesses have the same hours year around. If some have shorter hours, they should still be open late in Sept as the weather is still beautiful.

If it was me I would choose mid-Sept. My daughter lived in Newport Beach while she was going to college. In the summer it was crowded and parking was a problem. Literally, the day after Labor Day you could go to Newport and the streets were quieter and parking wasn't an issue. It was like day and night.

I would choose September. True, the San Diego Zoo isn't open at night then, and some other attractions have slightly shorter hours, but this is still a major tourist destination, so you'll have no trouble getting in to the things you want to see.

As Paula said, the weather in September is great. It can be very hot. One thing to be aware of is that after Labor Day, there are a lot fewer lifeguards on our beaches. So if swimming in the ocean is important, you might want to come before Labor Day.

We'd LOVE some rain, but there's unlikely to be any in September.

Brush fires can, and do, happen any time. Santa Ana winds don't cause them, but they move a lot faster when pushed by the wind.

Thanks all for responses. More specifically, we'll be splitting our time between LA/Pasadena and San Diego. Coming from East Coast, all of things get very quiet and even close after labor day in the areas that depend on tourism, hence our concern about September being "off-season". I'm guessing that's not as much and issue in S. Cal. but wanted to be sure. Beach/swimming not a big deal for us. More important that the weather be pleasant for walking/sightseeing/dining. Insterested in knowing what "hot" is in S. Cal. We're used to humid and 90's in the summer. Dry and 85 would feel wonderful to us.

september and october are my favorite months and when i recommend most people go. most day's you'll find the weather a beautiful mid 70's. on occasion we will have a short heat wave. if that happens, just plan on doing coastal activites and avoid inland.

Well the beaches will be nice but it could be pretty hot in Pasadena. Hot would be in the 90's but lower humidity than what you are used to. Looking at average temperatures for September for Pasadena, it's 89F. But if you are sightseeing in LA I would assume you will also be going to Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc. The closer to the ocean you are, the cooler it will be.

As Barbara said, we often get what is called the Santa Ana's here in So. Cal. and we may get them in Sept/Oct. A high pressure builds up (that's about all I know of how to explain them) and hot winds come into So. Calif. A couple of good things about them-very low humidity and the visibility could be over 50 miles maybe even closer to 100 miles. The bad thing-very high fire danger. Anway just a quick weather lesson and a poor one at that. LOL

Barbara-Good point about the zoo-didn't realize they ended their night hours right after Labor Day.

outwest-Things here never shut up like on the east coast so you don't need to worry about that.

ITA on the crowds being less after Labor Day. And the weather is usually very pleasant on the coast in Sept..

Thanks again. Your firsthand insights big help.