Belmont Microclimates - Which Way Is the Wind Blowing?

Tuesday is tour day for REALTORS® and we dutifully scour Belmont for new listings—always looking for that “shiny penny” to come home and blog about. Spring is our favorite time to tour and not just because that’s when the best homes seem to get listed for sale; it’s also the best time of year for our weather.

There are a many hot topics in Belmont that can cause the debate around water coolers to boil over, although normally our weather isn’t one of them. Being nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay keeps the weather in Belmont relatively cool in the hot summer months and mild the rest of the year.

But what about the so-called microclimates we hear so much about? Having personally lived in three distinct neighborhoods in Belmont we noticed each one benefited from individualistic weather nuances.

For those of you who live and work in Belmont it may come as no surprise to find the temperature in one part of Belmont completely different from another. These so called “microclimates” exist all over the Peninsula but in some cities such as Belmont, they can be found within the city itself.

Back in the day before air-conditioning, choosing a mild climate was the key to comfortable summer evenings. In the 1860’s, William Chapman Ralston picked a strategic place in Belmont to build his home. Located near the then bustling downtown section of Belmont, yet secluded inland far enough away to be protected from the colder San Francisco Bay winds, this area today is known for its superior microclimate.

Other microclimates can be found elsewhere such as in the hills overlooking the bay. These higher elevations are affected two fold; by more exposure to the wind and their inherent altitude. Also referred to as the “lapse rate”—for every 1,000 feet in elevation, temperatures are around 3.5 degrees lower. So it stands to reason that a home up in Belcrest Gardens near Highway 92 would be cooler than a home in Sterling Downs; but it’s not just elevation that accounts for the differential in temperatures. Microclimates created by the shelter of a hillside, ravine or eastern exposure can create a protected environment free from the cool afternoon wind which can drop temperatures as much as 20 degrees in the course of just a few hours.

Each day the temperature in Belmont typically peaks in the afternoon and often has cooled considerably by early evening. Want to know what time of day is typically the warmest? It’s 2:10 in the afternoon.

Our weather station located at our home in Belmont has been providing real-time weather reports from Belmont for over ten years. We hope you enjoy the weather!

Drew & Christine Morgan, REALTORS

RE/MAX Star-Carlmont

(650) 508-1441

MorganHomes.com