California weather in April
April splits California wide open: Death Valley runs 91° afternoons while South Lake Tahoe tops out near 53°.
Based on 12 weather stations. Twelve stations from Death Valley to the Sierra — California holds most of the country’s climates inside one border, and no state needs its regions kept apart more than this one.
Southern California
Highs 68–74°, nights 48–57°, and 0.6–0.9 in of rain in a typical April.
| Place | Highs / lows | Wet days | The short version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 72° / 55° | 1 | Warm and dry, and the mornings still start blue. |
| Anaheim | 74° / 54° | 2 | Dry, warm, and the best queueing weather of the year. |
| San Diego | 69° / 57° | 2 | Dry days return; the ocean still argues you into a wetsuit. |
| Santa Barbara | 68° / 48° | 2 | Warm on the sand, and the water still says no. |
Central Coast
Highs 63–66°, nights 45–47°, and 1.0–1.3 in of rain in a typical April.
| Place | Highs / lows | Wet days | The short version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey | 63° / 47° | 3 | Rain thins out; the wind picks up every afternoon. |
| Santa Cruz | 66° / 45° | 3 | Drying out, warming up, still a full-suit ocean. |
Bay Area & Wine Country
Highs 63–68°, nights 44–50°, and 1.3–1.6 in of rain in a typical April.
| Place | Highs / lows | Wet days | The short version |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 63° / 50° | 4 | Showers thin out; pack a jacket you can actually wear. |
| Napa | 68° / 44° | 3 | The valley dries out and the wildflowers take their turn. |
The Deserts
Highs 87–91°, nights 59–65°, and 0.1 in of rain in a typical April.
| Place | Highs / lows | Wet days | The short version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs | 87° / 59° | 0 | Hot by lunch, perfect by nine at night. |
| Death Valley | 91° / 65° | 0 | The last comfortable month, and it changes fast. |
The Sierra
Highs 53–63°, nights 28–38°, and 1.3–3.2 in of rain in a typical April.
| Place | Highs / lows | Wet days | The short version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yosemite Valley | 63° / 38° | 5 | Waterfalls building, high country still locked under snow. |
| South Lake Tahoe | 53° / 28° | 8 | Mud season begins, and the mountain keeps going anyway. |
Each place above has its own page for the full story — what the month feels like, what to pack, and whether the timing is right.