Spring Winds

GGNPC

Please forgive my blogging sloth, I've gotten just a little bit involved (bless all the busy bees who are doing the real work) in the run up to the big celebration for the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th birthday, and real estate has been very interesting and time consuming of late. Also my grand plan to summarize micro-climate by real estate zone has been a little more complex then I first realized. It is pretty easy to do for places one has lived, but is harder to summarize accurately based on visits, as it changes with the seasons and the level of intensity in the fog cycle. Of course now we are firmly in the spring wind upwelling cycle which can be a little exhausting, though it is the reason we have such abundant sea life all around us.

My new plan for the area's I have not lived to is take walks with local experts to confirm my theories. While I am obviously obsessed with microclimates, and hope to provide helpful guidance, it is always a good idea to chat up the neighbors when you are looking at property. If you are a gardener, look at what plants are flourishing in the immediate surroundings. Even if plants are not your thing - befriend that long time resident with the well established garden, they will know the climate better then almost anyone.

Kate Campbell

Today's brief microclimate summary: Using my cool Weather Underground app and clicking on the weather station icon (online works also)   I see that it is 57 degrees with 33 mph NW winds blowing (gusting to 45 I would wager) at the Outer Richmond weather station. It is 69 degrees with minimal wind in the Financial District. I can also hear the roar of the wind and creaking of the building I am in near the beach. You can bet it is howling at the bridge. Forecasts predict the wind will mellow before the party, but bring your layers if you're coming.

Anne+MathiasMywedding.com

Macro Microclimate

Sometimes it just comes down to foggy at the coast, and clear inland. Simple as that.

Everything more micro is nuance, as the fog, wind and topography do their dance. Happy Friday folks, hope your climate suits you this evening.

Photo via

Bill Martin 2Meteorologist

about an hour ago

"This is a Visible Satellite image. Most images you see are Infrared images which use tempertures to create clouds. Visible Satellites just flat out take a photo graph. "

"Affordable" Outer Richmond

While we're talking about the Richmond District, here's Curbed's latest, The Top Ten Least Expensive Properties For Sale in the Outer Richmond.

Curbed

and then there's that Super Moon:

RichmondSFBlog

Microclimate - Outer Richmond

cocoi_m's photo stream

As promised, "microclimate by real estate zone" posts hereby begin. Here is the real estate zone map, via the Zephyr site, where you can see that Zone 1E is the in the far northwest corner of the city, extending west of 32nd Avenue out to Ocean Beach. It is surrounded by parks (GGNRA's Lands End to the north, and Golden Gate Park to the south) and ocean on three sides. 1E is one of the coolest parts of the city, temperature-wise, with fog often moving in from the beach, and pouring in the Golden Gate.

SFGate

The spring winds from the northwest hit this area first, and sometimes with the most force, because the wind accelerates when it finds the gap of the Gate, so both the north coast and Ocean Beach sides get plenty of wind. The new Lands End Lookout is brilliantly oriented with its back to the wind, which creates a wonderfully sheltered outdoor space in the lee of the building, and on days like today you can enjoy the awesome views from your cozy spot inside.

SFVA

There are some areas that are more sheltered than others, such as the coveted blocks of Sutro Heights, near Sutro Heights Park (below) on the south facing hillside below the far west end of Geary. Washington High School is at the top of the other large hill in the district, there are some warmer pockets east and south of there, and on each block there are more or less sheltered areas. Here is the Kelly's Cove weather station, for your use, should you be sweating in the Mission and thinking about the beach. Today's 33 mph winds probably nixed that idea. Kite surfers were happy though.

Poetic Shutterbug

If you are a heat lover, you may not be happy in the Outer Richmond. If you like it cool and fresh and quiet, with seagull sounds and salty air, and appreciate good food and a fun theater, 1E is for you. If you are park and ocean minded, you will love it. Many winter days are lovely, with sparkling clear skies, and less wind than in the spring. In the summer, the fog and sun dance can be very entertaining, and the fall, well, it's pretty heavenly.