San Rafael, California Weather
San Rafael, California — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery, tide predictions, marine conditions and a solunar fishing forecast for San Rafael, Marin County.
Tides, marine forecast and fishing conditions near San Rafael. Tide source:
Full aviation weather for San Rafael is published on the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (KOAK) page, 39 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 6 airfields within reach of San Rafael have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near San Rafael: Buchanan Field (KCCR) 42 km · San Francisco International Airport (KSFO) 42 km · Hayward Executive Airport (KHWD) 50 km · Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF) 51 km · San Carlos Airport (KSQL) 57 km
Conditions reported at KOAK describe the airfield itself. Weather 39 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at San Rafael specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
About San Rafael, California
San Rafael unfolds as a sun-drenched basin, cradled by the rolling, oak-studded hills of Marin County. It lies 9.5 miles south-south-east of Novato, CA (from Novato, CA: bearing 167°T), and is situated 4.7 miles north of Mill Valley. The air here, especially in the late afternoon, carries a faint, warm spice, a blend of dry chaparral and the distant tang of the bay. The landscape itself is a study in gentle transitions, where urban sprawl gives way to the wilder, more rugged contours of the surrounding wilderness, a constant reminder of the wildness that lies just beyond the manicured lawns and stucco homes. The broad, shimmering expanse of the San Francisco Bay to the east is a constant presence, its tides dictating a subtle rhythm to the town’s days. This land, once home to the Coast Miwok people, was shaped by the Spanish mission founded here in the early 19th century, a legacy that still echoes in the street names and the quiet dignity of the old courthouse. Later, San Rafael became a haven for those seeking respite from the bustling city across the water, its fertile valleys supporting a burgeoning agricultural economy of vineyards and orchards, a scent of ripe fruit often drifting on the breeze. Today, while technology and diverse industries now form the backbone of San Rafael’s economy, the echoes of its past are palpable, particularly in the preservation of historic buildings and the enduring sense of community that draws people to its sun-drenched streets.
Live animated radar for San Rafael and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | San Rafael, Marin County, California |
| Coordinates | 37.973611°N, 122.531111°W |
| Timezone | Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 94901, 94903, 94912, 94913, 94915 |
| Area Code | 510 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This San Rafael, California Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for San Rafael, California, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for San Rafael includes coordinates 37.973611°N, 122.531111°W, situated in Marin County. ZIP code 94901, 94903, 94912, 94913, 94915. Telephone area code: 510. Timezone: Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
