when could we have better west coast weather : Mid October or beginning of November

Trying to decide between a cruise from San Francisco starting October 15 2017 and one beginning November 4th from Los Angeles. Both will do a R/T down the California coast and will last a week. Ports are comparable as are the cabins selected so one of the deciding factors could be the weather .

In our part of Oregon the start of our rainy season usually happens right after Halloween which would make the October 15th cruise(SF) the better choice but the November 4th cruise (LA) is on a newer ship with a higher passenger rating and the October cruise is a bit more expensive.

For us it might just come down to the weather factor but with global warming that might just be a crap shot...so we are hoping you Californians' weather knowledge might nudge us one way or another.

This year the cold and rain started the day we got off the ship in San Francisco on Oct 16. Many years the rain holds off until even Dec and Jan. Typically, we get moderate amounts of rain anywhere from Early to mid October. Some Octobers, the entire month has been warm and rain free. Beginning of November definitively is iffy because I recall many early Novs when we've had powerful rain storms. It really is anybody's guess.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

This year the cold and rain started the day we got off the ship in San Francisco on Oct 16. Many years the rain holds off until even Dec and Jan. Typically, we get moderate amounts of rain anywhere from Early to mid October. Some Octobers, the entire month has been warm and rain free. Beginning of November definitively is iffy because I recall many early Novs when we've had powerful rain storms. It really is anybody's guess.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I thought November might be Iffy...I like the Ruby Princess better than the Grand and like a savings of over $1500 (large chunk airfare.) but know 7 days of rain would ruin the entire trip. a true conundrum.

A little Google searching ("October San Francisco weather " versus "November San Francisco weather", for example, or any other ports you are stopping in ) would give you the factual data, and would make your decision pretty easy. October will be the better time, on average.

A little Google searching ("October San Francisco weather " versus "November San Francisco weather", for example, or any other ports you are stopping in ) would give you the factual data, and would make your decision pretty easy. October will be the better time, on average.

yes, I started there but I knew that the google report on where i live was the reverse on what really happened this past year so i thought a little hands on info would help

yes, I started there but I knew that the google report on where i live was the reverse on what really happened this past year so i thought a little hands on info would help

The "Google report" is the statistical averages and facts. What happened last year is just one year of anecdotal info, at this point. In other words, what happened last year probably will have little to do with what happens next year.

Can never predict the weather. Historically October is a warm month along the California coast, while the rainy season begins in November, but the past few years have been anything but typical. I would prefer to cruise out of SF ,but if the LA cruise is a substantial savings that might tip things.

As a Southern Californian, I'd tell you that it almost doesn't matter...The "rainy season" down here, or what there is of it, traditionally starts in October and goes through March...but during that time, there is still only about 11 inches of rain, on the average...though, for several years up until this past year, we got nowhere near that. And that rain is limited to about ten days a year--maximum. The rest of that time, the weather can be anything--including 90 degrees and sunny. Problem is that you can never predict when those ten days will come with ANY degree of certainty. San Francisco, OTOH, gets quite a bit more rain than we do...and a lot of fog...and, though it may be a tiny bit more predictable, the difference between the third week of October and the first or second week of November is pretty much negligible. So, don't worry that much about the weather. Just book the cruise and ship you want...and hope it works out well.

It's not like you're asking if it's better to take that cruise in June or November...That choice we could differentiate with more certainty.

An additional factor is the recent weather changes we have had related to El Nino and La Nina. This has resulted in us getting more effects from Pacific hurricanes that normally would just go to Mexico. Results have been some early fall rain, and bigger surf/swells in SoCal. The Pacific hurricane season last from August through November for the most part, so with either date there is some risk that this could impact your cruise.

October.

thanks, everyone...we decided to do the October 15th R/T from San Francisco...who knows what type of weather we will experience but at least we hope the earlier cruise will give us the best chance for a sunny cruise...it is a little more expensive but being able to fly non stop both ways tipped the scales.

I thought November might be Iffy...I like the Ruby Princess better than the Grand and like a savings of over $1500 (large chunk airfare.) but know 7 days of rain would ruin the entire trip. a true conundrum.

Don't discount the Grand. We were on her the end of last September - great service, great food and great entertainment.

Don't discount the Grand. We were on her the end of last September - great service, great food and great entertainment.

We had a great time on the Grand last October, but we didn't like all the water leaks, especially the one right outside our cabin door. [emoji50]

Had outstanding food in the dining room. So good!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk