The seasonal rainfall is about 10 inches in the city, but increases with elevation and distance from the coast. As on the rest of the Pacific Coast, a dominant characteristic of spring and summer is the nighttime and early morning cloudiness. Low clouds frequently extend inland over the coastal valleys and foothills, but usually dissipate in the mornings, and afternons are clear. Considerable fog occurs along the coast, but decreases with distance inland. The fall and winter months are usually the foggiest.
Thunderstorms are rare, averaging about three a year in the city.
One of the most unusual features of the climate is the wide variation of temperature within short distances. If you're from back East or the Midwest, you may find it hard to believe that you can drive a few miles and have different weather, but this is indeed the case. In the winter it could be raining in Escondido, sunny at the beach. In June, it could be 90 degrees in Escondido, but foggy and 60 degrees at the beach. The good thing about all this is that you can usually drive a bit to get whatever weather you want.