Is San Diego cold in April?

The best times to visit San Diego are the months of March, April, September, and October, as they are generally warm and less crowded than summer. Tourist season is at its peak in June, July, and August, but you’ll also find cloudy skies at the beach for much of early summer (known locally as June gloom). The coolest months are January and February, and they also tend to be the quietest month for visitors. The best San Diego hotels are in high demand from May to October.

When to Visit San Diego?

  • Best Time for Good Weather: San Diego has beautiful weather most of the year, with average highs of 76-78ºF in the summer and 66-67ºF in the winter. Mid-September through mid-October is the best time to find spectacular weather and great prices on hotels as the summer crowds have left, leaving many beaches with little to no people mid-week. Spring is the rainiest season in San Diego and the most unpredictable for weather, although it will rarely rain for more than a few hours on any given day.
  • Best Time for Booking Hotels: San Diego hosts many conventions and conferences throughout the year, including the uber-popular Comic-Con that takes place in July. Booking a hotel in San Diego during events like this and throughout summer should be done about a year in advance. For slower seasons, try to reserve rooms at least three months in advance.
  • Best Time for Surfing: The best time for surfing in San Diego is late fall through winter. During these months, there are larger and more consistent swells that combine with Santa Ana winds to produce beautiful offshore waves. The piers in Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach, as well as Silver Strand State Beach and Coronado are some of the best spots to catch a wave in San Diego. Waves are especially calm during the summer months.
  • Best Time for Snorkeling and Swimming: The best time for snorkeling and taking a dip in the Pacific Ocean is early summer through early fall. The water temperature is much more enjoyable as the summer moves forward. La Jolla cove is one of the best places to snorkel in San Diego as it offers natural protection from waves and the water visibility is great.
  • Best Time to Swim with Leopard Sharks: Every year, thousands of leopard sharks head to the shores off the coast of San Diego, and specifically to the La Jolla beaches, to mate and then hatch their young. These are beautiful and harmless sharks that can be found close to shore. There are waves at the beach, so snorkel and mask are suggested to see them clearly. The best time of year to see the leopard sharks is between late June and early December, with the peak being August and September.
  • Best Time for SeaWorld: Early spring is the best time to visit Sea World, ideally in May, before the Memorial Day weekend. The weather’s at its best, with San Diego’s brief rainy season over, and before the crowds of summer have yet to materialize. After Labor Day and until the winter holidays is another good time to visit. In general, weekdays are less crowded than weekends. The summer months and days around major holidays are when SeaWorld is busiest.
  • Best Time for the San Diego Zoo: Similar tips for SeaWorld apply for the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo is one of the city’s busiest and most famous attractions, and it’s busy on weekends year-round. The crowds during winter and early spring are smaller, except for holidays. The zoo is home to over 3,700 animals from 660 species, and the best time of day to visit the San Diego Zoo is when it opens, which is when the animals tend to be awake and easily visible. This is also when the crowds are a bit thinner since the zoo tends to get busier as the day goes on. The summer months and days around major holidays are when the San Diego Zoo is busiest.
  • Best Time for Balboa Park: Balboa Park is one of the oldest public parks in the nation. It’s larger than New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Millennium Park combined. The park is over 1,200 acres of urban green space with 16 museums, 65 miles of trails, theaters, restaurants, and home to the San Diego Zoo. Similar tips for SeaWorld and the Zoo apply for Balboa Park. It’s busy on weekends year-round, and especially in the summer. One of the best times of year to visit Balboa Park is for December Nights: a yearly event that takes place over a few weekends and features light displays, live music, dancers, local food vendors, and special events.
  • Best Time for Del Mar Races: San Diego horse racing is a tradition that dates back to 1937 when Bing Crosby greeted the first guests. The Del Mar Racetrack is famous for being the place where the “turf meets the surf”. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club racing season is mid-July through early-September. Horse racing at Del Mar happens Wednesday through Sunday, with post time for the first race on most days at 2 pm. On Fridays, first post is 4 pm.
  • Best Time for a Padres’ Baseball Game: The MLB season begins in late March and ends late September. The Dodgers and Giants games are the ones local fans look forward to; these teams are viewed as the Padres’ main rivals and are especially fun to attend.
  • Best Time for Whale Watching: Whale watching season in San Diego runs from mid-December through April when there is an annual migration of gray whales. To see females with their calves, visit late in the season as they take their babies back north with them. A couple of great spots to view the grey whale migration from shore include the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the Cabrillo National Monument, and Torrey Pines State Reserve. There are also many charter and tour companies that offer whale watching tours in San Diego.
  • Best Time for Grunion Run: March through August is when thousands of tiny, silvery fish mate by the light of the full moon (or the new one). (See the schedule.) The best San Diego beaches for the Grunion Run are La Jolla Shores, Pacific Beach between Tourmaline Park and Lifeguard Tower 20, Mission Beach between Lifeguard Towers 19 and 10, Ocean Beach between Mission Bay Channel and the Ocean Beach Pier, and on Coronado between the Hotel del Coronado and Dog Beach.
  • Best Time for Discounts: For discounted rates, it’s usually best to book early and schedule flights for mid-week. In general, the cheapest rates on flights and hotels can be found during the spring, except for spring break, and from September through mid-February, except for holidays.
  • Best Time for Avoiding Crowds: The quietest month for tourists is December (except Christmas week), January (except New Year’s), and February. September and October are great times to avoid crowds and find beautiful weather.
  • Best Time for a Destination Wedding: Summer months rarely have any rain in San Diego, but there is June gloom (coastal fog) at the beach. The best bet for a sunny wedding is July through September.
  • Best Time for Buying Airline Tickets: Prices for flights fluctuate dramatically. Generally, booking one to four months in advance offers the best rates, with six weeks out being the optimal time for finding deals. Exceptions are when booking for Thanksgiving week and mid to late December. For these times, it’s usually best to book as soon as tickets are available, up to eleven months out.


When to Visit San Diego?


The Best Time to Visit San Diego

The best months to visit San Diego for great weather and to avoid the crowds are March and April (except for Spring Break), and September and October for great weather. San Diego has beautiful weather most of the year, with average highs of 76-78ºF in the summer, and 66-67ºF in the winter. Temperatures can vary up to 10ºF from the beach to the inland towns. Rain typically falls in spring and autumn, but doesn’t tend to last for more than an hour or so. San Diego’s rainy season typically lasts from November to March, although spring tends to bring most of the rain. July and August are the driest months. The stretch of Pacific Ocean in San Diego reaches its warmest point of the year in August, with an average temperature of 68°F, and the coolest month is February, when the sea temperature averages 57°F. High season coincides with spring break, summer vacation, Comic-Con (July), and whale season from mid-December through April, with high hotel and flight rates. Low season is spring, except for the spring break holiday, and from September through mid-February, except for holidays. During these months, visitors will find better rates and fewer travelers.

San Diego Travel Seasons

  • Low Season (September through mid-December, mid-January through early March): Winter (except Christmas and New Year’s), early spring, and fall are the low seasons for travel in San Diego. Flights, hotels, and cars are less expensive, while beaches and attractions are less crowded. One exception with San Diego are the many conventions that take place, which means some lower season travel dates can still find hotels booked when big events are in town.
  • High Season (Summer: mid-June through August): From mid-June through the end of August, travel is at its height in San Diego. Prices tend to be more expensive than during the rest of the year, and beaches and attractions will be more crowded. Fewer deals are available during the summer, especially in July and August.

San Diego Weather by Month

Temperatures in San Diego are warm most of the year. Rain is more common in the spring and fall months from November to March. Rain tends to be short-lived, except for the rare storm. The average high in San Diego in the summer is 76-78ºF, and 66-67ºF in the winter.

Is April a good time to visit San Diego?

April is the best time to visit San Diego in Spring Temperatures are comfortable in the mid 50s to mid 60s and you'll see plenty of sun with a low chance of rain. What is this? Crowds are lower than fall so you'll have an easier time getting into restaurants without reservations and lower hotel prices.

What is San Diego like in April?

As far as San Diego weather goes in April, the average high temperature is 69 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average low temperate is 56 degrees Fahrenheit. The water temperature in the Pacific Ocean is still a cool 61 degrees, so you should definitely plan on using a wetsuit.

Is it too cold to swim in San Diego in April?

The water temperature in San Diego in april is cold. Swimming in San Diego in april is possible... with a wetsuit! Indeed, the water is cold at this time of year with an average sea temperature of 61°F (minimum: 59°F - maximum: 63°F).

What are the cold months in San Diego?

The cool season lasts for 4.1 months, from November 29 to April 2, with an average daily high temperature below 67°F. The coldest month of the year in San Diego is December, with an average low of 51°F and high of 65°F.