Weather
Warm, dry days and cool nights characterize the summer months in the Sacramento Region. During the summer, the temperature averages 93 degrees during the day to a comfortable 57 degrees at night. Winter temperatures typically range from 43 to 58 degrees. Because of the shielding influence of the high mountains that surround the Sacramento Valley, winter storms are generally subdued before reaching the area. However, significant rain and snowfall occur on the western Sierra Nevada slopes. The rainy season in the Sacramento Region occurs between November and April. Thunderstorms are few in number and usually mild in character, occurring mainly in the spring. Fog occurs on occasion throughout the valley in winter.
Prevailing winds in the Sacramento Region are southerly every month, except November when they are northerly. This is due to the north-south direction of the valley and the deflecting effect of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and the prevailing oceanic winds. These winds enter the valley through the San Francisco Bay’s Carquinez Straits at the junction of the San Francisco and San Joaquin Rivers. As a result of a prevailing ocean breeze, summer nights in the lower Sacramento Valley are, with few exceptions, cool and invigorating.