We were planning a trip to San Diego in June. I've heard it's cloudy and cool. Is that true? We were thinking either the 1st or 3rd weekend in June. I assume there isn't much of a difference weather wise. Any advice?

It depends a bit on where in San Diego. Along the coastal strip, all of southern California often suffers what is called the "June Glooms". Basically, that is a low lying marine layer of clouds that can persist into late morning, early afternoon, or sometimes last all day.

A couple miles inland or further, the low clouds may clear much earlier or may not occur at all.

Temperatures along the coastal strip are most often in the high 60's or low 70's. Inland at that time of year, they can range from the low to mid 70's up to almost 100 degrees. The farther inland you go, the more likely higher temperatures will be.

I hope you enjoy your trip. I was just there last weekend and the weather was perfect.

dwooddon gave you all the advice you'll need. It's not the best time of the year weather wise but if you don't mind gloomy days- go for it! Either week is fine.

Yes, perfect advice from dwooddon. I live right on the beach and it is always gloomy (hence June Gloom) throughtout the entire month. The best time to be in San Diego (if you want sunny & hot beach weather) is August and September.

and yet - we had beautiful weather 2 and 3 summers ago when my family came to visit me in SD. So, there's always the chance you could get some sun.

The saying here is, "May Gray and June Gloom". You may get lucky with some sunny days, but the BEST weather here is July through October. Almost always sunny and nice.

Thanks for the replies!! We're not looking for extremely hot weather.

I would just like to relax on the beach at least one day on our trip and get a little sun. We'll probably do some casual site-seeing (zoo, USS Midway, La Jolla, etc.) and relax around Coronado area. We'll be there for 5 days. I'm leaning towards the 3rd or 4th week in June now. Hopefully we'll get at least some sun????

You will be lucky to get sun in June. Last summer, we had June gloom throughout the summer. Who knows this summer?

For natives, June is hardly beach weather, but depending on where you are from, it might be warm enough for you to relax on the beach one day.

I have to disagree about the best weather being July through October, unless you like very hot and very dry weather. I much prefer the fall.

But no matter what, it won't be too cold and it won't be humid in June so that is pretty good weather.

Enjoy your trip.

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If your plans are already set in stone and you need to be in San Diego then I wouldn't worry about it. But if you are expecting a day or two of sun or would like to relax on the beach I would seek a different vacation spot.

June is not just gray - there is a layer of clouds (Marine Layer) that blankets the sky over San Diego. It is gray and depressing for the month. No sun, no sky! We've noticed the past few years that July is also not particularly sunny either.

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If by fall you mean November yes that is a good time for nice weather. July is ok, but August/Sept/Oct are our hottest months (with forest fires usually sweeping through because of the Santa Ana winds).

Still, a day in San Diego at the ocean beats most any day anywhere else. Just go and enjoy!

mm_finke,

Do not let these irrational weather pots change your June plans. I have been coming to Southern California every June for 10-15 years now and read reports of this scary "June gloom" silliness all the time. Out of a typical two-week trip for us, about 2-3 days will be overcast. The clouds usually burn off by noon and you have a whole day of sun--I have no idea what these people are talking about. It seems like every year I am there, I turn on the weather forecast at night and they inevitably exclaim, "well, here we are in the midst of June gloom season, but there was no gloom today, sunny skies tomorrow...Maybe a local could tell the subtle signs of less morning sun or early afternoon clouds, but you won't. No one can predict sun anywhere!!! This year's la Nina was supposed to bring drought to California--it rained like crazy. To say that it will certainly be gloomy when you are there in June is plain misleading. Notice the info from some of the posts:

The saying here is, "May Gray and June Gloom"
"We've noticed the past few years that July is also not particularly sunny either."
"Last summer, we had June gloom throughout the summer."

So, now apparently May through summer is out for sun in California. Had you arrived last August expecting sun, you would have been disappointed. You could get glorious sun like I did in Newport Beach mid June and most of a week in San Diego. It could be cloudy. I wouldn't make plans around the weather.

I have lived in San Diego for over 50 years.

Posters here are giving their insight into the weather to help the OP who asked about the weather. You can disagree Knute, but no need to start calling people "irrational weather pots" and being sarcastic. It only reflects on you.

June is not the best beach weather. Yes, you might get lucky and get some sun or enough sun for you to go to the beach. It will not be bad weather by any means, just cloudy or perhaps cloudy in the morning and burning off later depending on where you are. But if you want a sunny beach vacation with lots of sun and blue skies, the odds are it will be cloudy here. So be prepared.

Plenty of tourists come to San Diego in May and June and enjoy themselves despite May gray or June bloom. We see them on the beach anyway.

That's not to say May through summer is out for sun in California, its just that it may not be as 'sunny' as you might expect.

BTW, it did not "rain like crazy" last year. The drought was not officially over until this year.

San Diego is absolutely beautiful. The past few days here have been gorgeous with blue skies, white fluffy clouds and sparkling water with temperatures in the low 70s at the coast. Its then supposed to get warmer by 10 degrees tomorrow, cool down by 10 degrees for a few days and then get really hot for a day or two. No May gray yet.

Have a lovely vacation whatever you decide to do.

***Had you arrived last August expecting sun, you would have been disappointed.***

True. There was hardly any sun ALL summer along the coast! And fall came early with HEAVY rain. NOT the So Cal weather natives know!

In general - June IS the gloomiest time of the year. Fact. It would be very misleading to tell others " Come to California beaches in June for glorious sunshine."

"...if you want a sunny beach vacation with lots of sun and blue skies, the odds are it will be cloudy here."

Hmmmm. If this is true, The Beach Boys were disingenuous for not excluding May, June, sometimes July and occasionally August in their tributes to California summers. For kicks, I googled June Gloom in some other travel sights. Several locals commented that June gloom did not happen last year, several felt it was worse, and one guy said he lived in California for 10 years and never noticed a difference between June and other summer months. Again, May gray/June gloom, is simply an old tale that persists. Not saying June will be sunny in 2011, but the chances of it being sunnier or less sunny than July, August are the usual: anyone's guess. I posted this because I have read so many locals scaring visitors into changing their plans on this forum because of this issue.

knute -- you simply don't know what you are talking about. There are meteorological reasons for the fog and gloom along the CA coast in the summer.

When it is hot inland there is an inversion that draws in the cool/foggy marine layer from the Pacific.

June is officially the cloudiest month in San Diego per the National Weather Service. The main advantage to San Diego/LA is that the gloom really only runs from May through June, sometimes early July. In Northern CA it lasts all summer long

June gloom & the Beach Boys according to me
The Beach Boys liked June for many reasons
- The water temp is warming up
- Schools out
- The choppy NW swells are ending, and better W to SW swells are starting
- 'Surfer chicks' are showing up to sun themselves
Did I say sun?

Yes, the sun does come out in June. The marine layer can stay all day, it can burn off in the afternoon, but more likely it burns off earlier or is SUNNY all day. The SAME happens in July and August too, just better chance for sun those months but just slightly better> I should add, the marine layer can roll in after a sunny morning too

I lived in S. California for most of my life. It is gloomy in June - we lived just east of the I-5 in San Diego but my Mom worked in La Jolla by the beach - I recall all through high school calling her and asking if the sun was out at the beach.

September was always my favorite time as an adult to go to the beach - school was back in session and the weather was glorious!

Thanks for everyone's responses. We slightly shifted our plans. We are booked to go July 4th weekend. I'm sure we'll have a nice vacation.