Moderation is Marin's Middle Name 

Although Marin County generally reflects the patterns of a mild Mediterranean climate, home owners can enjoy a number of micro-climates within its boundaries. Along with the temperature and variation in weather patterns come dramatic changes in the landscape and new opportunities for outdoor activities.

Taking Marin’s Temperature
Journeying from south to north, the village of Sausalito offers a unique lifestyle and climate that’s driven by the vast body of water that border its western coastline. Just miles from San Francisco, this charming Marin town is home to about 7330 people, many who live on houseboats that decorate the length of Sausalito’s coast. Home owners enjoy a very moderate climate that lacks big swings in temperature. The mercury seldom rises above the mid 60s although one summer day in 1961 it reached a record 99 degrees Fahrenheit.  That anomaly aside, the range is generally from 40-some degrees to the 60s. The coolest month is January when Sausalito gets most of its annual rainfall.

On the southwestern coastline where Muir Beach, Stinson Beach and the iconoclastic community of Bolinas are located, weather patterns are affected by the Pacific Ocean that brings fog and winds to much of Marin County. The coast is a breezy window that moderates many of Marin’s inland communities and tempers the climate year around. On the southern coast, the swings in temperature are wider than they are in Sausalito to the east. In the summer, Marin home owners may find Stinson Beach a cool 53 degrees or a comfortable 85. There is seldom rain in the summer months and most precipitation occurs between October and March. Bolinas home owners experience the same kind weather patterns and, like most of the coast, have morning fog that usually burns off by mid day.

Traveling north and inland, the city of Mill Valley has similar swings in temperature. Protected by the coastal hills, the region occasionally experiences extremes that are short lived but notable. For example, the lowest recorded temperature was a freezing 18 degrees Fahrenheit in 1990 and a baking high of 111 degrees in 1972. But, summer temperatures usually range from 60 to 74 degrees and 52 to 64 degrees in the winter, creating a pleasant climate year around for Mill Valley home owners.  The coastal fog does impact temperatures inland and makes some summer days cool and evenings breezy. Abundant winter rains are welcome and feed the many nature preserves and hiking trails that are available to Mill Valley home owners.

In the northeast is Novato, one of Marin’s most populace cities. Like the rest of Marin County, temperatures are Mediterranean mild most of the year and invite home owners and their families to enjoy the outdoors. Novato is affected by its proximity to San Pablo Bay, which keeps this inland community from baking in the summer months unlike some of the regions to the north in Sonoma and Napa counties. The same body of water helps to warm this region of Marin in the winter when further north the temperatures can get quite low.

The north central region of Marin has its own special micro-climate that’s home to a renewed grape growing industry. The proximity of San Pablo Bay and the rocky northern coast creates an environment that’s proven very favorable to viticulture. In the winter, average temperatures are a bit warmer than they are to the north in Sonoma and Napa counties, and the spring and summer are cooler.  The lack of heat waves in this inland expanse extend the grape growing season longer and produce “cool climate” varietals such as Merlot, Riesling and Pinot Noir.

The northern stretch of Marin’s Pacific Coast is a dramatic terrain that can experience wild weather in the winter. Temperatures are wide ranging – dipping to the 40s or rising to the 80s in July. Morning fog is typical most of the year but sunshine warms the region late mornings in summer. The climate in this rugged piece of Marin invites home owners throughout the county to come and enjoy the offerings of the north coast. It’s a favorite spot of whale watching, surfing, fishing and hiking. The northern reaches of Marin get more rainfall than the southern parts of the county, particularly along the Pacific Coast. The rains help to sustain the coastal redwood forests that meander nearly the length of the county from south to north, hugging the hillsides that form a natural barrier to the coast.

Always a Great Escape
Home owners in Marin County have lovely choices to make when they consider where to spend leisure time. In the summer, it’s easy to escape the inland heat with a quick trip to the ocean. The reverse is true for seaside dwellers who find the warmth of the sun just over the hills and into the central region of Marin. Throughout Marin are ecological niches waiting to be explored by Marin County families. Places like Inverness, Olima and Bolinas offer their own special character and climes. The many watersheds and nature preserves are testimony to the care Main County home owners and local government have taken with their environment.