Climate of Sacramento, California

"The Southern Sacramento Valley, including the City of Sacramento, is blessed with a mild climate and an abundance of sunshine the year-round. The summers are virtually cloudless with warm, dry days and mild, pleasant nights. During the winter "rainy season" (November through February), over half the total annual precipitation falls, yet rain in measurable amounts occurs only about ten days monthly during the winter. Mountains surround the Sacramento Valley to the west, north and east. The Sierra Nevada snowfields are only 70 miles east of Sacramento and usually provide a plentiful supply of water to the valley streams during the dry season. Because of the shielding influence of the high mountains, winter storms reach the valley in a modified form. However, torrential rain and heavy snow frequently fall on the Western Sierra Slopes, the Southern Cascades, and to a lesser extent, the Coastal Range. As a result, flood conditions occasionally occur along the Sacramento River and its tributaries. Excessive rainfall and damaging wind storms occur infrequently"--Climatological summary. revised by Laura A.Bevan, George Cline. Title from title screen (viewed on May 19, 2010.) Chiefly tables. Mode of access: World Wide Web. System requirements: Internet browser; Adobe Acrobat Reader. 2005 NWS (National Weather Service) WR (Western Region) Library Public Domain 1931