Climate of California - wikipedia Climate of California This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2014 ) Köppen climate types of California Golden Gate Bridge in fog The climate of California varies widely, from hot desert to polar, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. California 's coastal regions, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and much of the Central Valley have a Mediterranean climate, with warmer, drier weather in summer and cooler, wetter weather in winter. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers in coastal areas. Contents 1 Temperature range 1.1 Full statistics for selected cities 2 Precipitation 3 Wildfires 4 Glossary 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Temperature range January snowfall in San Bernardino, Shandin Hills visible in the background The cool California Current offshore, enhanced by upwelling of cold sub-surface waters, often creates summer fog near the coast, creating a warm - summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csb ). Further inland, the climate becomes more continental, with some areas turning semi-arid ( Köppen BSk ), with colder winters and markedly hotter summers. Low - lying inland valleys, especially the Central Valley, have a hot - summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csa ), with subtropical temperatures but a well - defined summer dry season and a foggy, rainy season in winter. The temperature gradient between immediate coast and low - lying inland valleys in the south is about 7 ° F ( 4 ° C ) in winter, the coast being warmer, and in summer roughly 25 ° F ( 14 ° C ), the interior being warmer. For example, the average daily high in San Francisco in July and August is between 62 and 68 ° F ( 17 and 20 ° C ), and in Walnut Creek, some 20 miles ( 32 km ) inland, the average daily high in July and August is 90 ° F ( 32 ° C ) : a temperature gain of more than one degree ( Fahrenheit ) per mile. In the south, the figures are approximately 4 ° F and 23 ° F ( 2 ° C and 13 ° C ), respectively. At the coast in Santa Monica, the average high in August is 75 ° F ( 24 ° C ), while in Burbank, approximately 10 miles ( 16 km ) inland, the average high in August is 95 ° F ( 35 ° C ) : a temperature gain of about two degrees Fahrenheit per mile. During the cooler winter months ( October -- March ), the Coachella Valley regularly has the warmest winter temperatures out of any place west of the Rocky Mountains. East Los Angeles, the Gateway Cities, and parts of the San Gabriel Valley average the warmest winter high temps ( 72 ° F, 22 ° C ) in all of the western U.S., and Santa Monica averages the warmest winter lows ( 52 ° F, 11 ° C ) in all of the western U.S. Palm Springs, a city in the Coachella Valley, averages high / low / mean temperatures of 75 ° F / 50 ° F / 63 ° F, ( 24 ° C / 10 ° C / 17 ° C ) respectively during the period of cooler weather from November to April. The extreme southwest, around San Diego, has a subtropical semi-arid or steppe climate ( Koppen BSh ) as winters are drier there. The southeastern regions have a hot arid climate ( Koppen BWh ), similar to that of the Sahara Desert. In the northern portion of the Mojave Desert on the east side of the state is Death Valley, which has recorded temperatures among the highest in the world. It is common in the summer for temperatures in the valley to reach 120 ° F ( 49 ° C ). The highest reliably recorded temperature in the world, 134 ° F ( 56.7 ° C ), was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Temperatures of 130 ° F ( 54 ° C ) or higher have been recorded as recently as 2005. The 24 - hour average July temperature in Death Valley is 101.8 ° F ( 38.8 ° C ) ( 1981 -- 2010 NCDC Normals ). Alturas Bakersfield Bishop Bodie Death Valley Eureka Fresno Los Angeles Needles Redding Riverside Sacramento San Diego San Francisco San Jose Santa Rosa South Lake Tahoe Map of locations in the table below Average daily high and low temperatures in ° F ( ° C ) for locations in California, colored and sortable by average monthly temperature Place Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Alturas 44 / 18 ( 7 / − 8 ) 48 / 21 ( 9 / − 6 ) 54 / 25 ( 12 / − 4 ) 60 / 28 ( 16 / − 2 ) 70 / 34 ( 21 / 1 ) 79 / 40 ( 26 / 4 ) 90 / 44 ( 32 / 7 ) 89 / 42 ( 32 / 6 ) 80 / 36 ( 27 / 2 ) 68 / 28 ( 20 / − 2 ) 52 / 23 ( 11 / − 5 ) 42 / 18 ( 6 / − 8 ) Bakersfield 56 / 39 ( 13 / 4 ) 63 / 42 ( 17 / 6 ) 69 / 47 ( 21 / 8 ) 75 / 50 ( 24 / 10 ) 84 / 58 ( 29 / 14 ) 91 / 64 ( 33 / 18 ) 97 / 71 ( 36 / 22 ) 96 / 69 ( 36 / 21 ) 90 / 64 ( 32 / 18 ) 80 / 55 ( 27 / 13 ) 66 / 45 ( 19 / 7 ) 57 / 39 ( 14 / 4 ) Bishop 54 / 23 ( 12 / − 5 ) 58 / 27 ( 14 / − 3 ) 66 / 31 ( 19 / − 1 ) 73 / 36 ( 23 / 2 ) 82 / 44 ( 28 / 7 ) 92 / 51 ( 33 / 11 ) 98 / 56 ( 37 / 13 ) 96 / 54 ( 36 / 12 ) 88 / 47 ( 31 / 8 ) 76 / 37 ( 24 / 3 ) 63 / 28 ( 17 / − 2 ) 53 / 22 ( 12 / − 6 ) Bodie 40 / 5 ( 4 / − 15 ) 41 / 7 ( 5 / − 14 ) 45 / 11 ( 7 / − 12 ) 50 / 17 ( 10 / − 8 ) 61 / 24 ( 16 / − 4 ) 70 / 30 ( 21 / − 1 ) 78 / 34 ( 26 / 1 ) 77 / 32 ( 25 / 0 ) 71 / 26 ( 22 / − 3 ) 60 / 18 ( 16 / − 8 ) 49 / 11 ( 9 / − 12 ) 41 / 6 ( 5 / − 14 ) Death Valley 67 / 40 ( 19 / 4 ) 73 / 46 ( 23 / 8 ) 82 / 55 ( 28 / 13 ) 91 / 62 ( 33 / 17 ) 101 / 73 ( 38 / 23 ) 110 / 81 ( 43 / 27 ) 117 / 88 ( 47 / 31 ) 115 / 86 ( 46 / 30 ) 107 / 76 ( 42 / 24 ) 93 / 62 ( 34 / 17 ) 77 / 48 ( 25 / 9 ) 65 / 38 ( 18 / 3 ) Eureka 56 / 41 ( 13 / 5 ) 56 / 42 ( 13 / 6 ) 57 / 43 ( 14 / 6 ) 58 / 44 ( 14 / 7 ) 60 / 48 ( 16 / 9 ) 62 / 50 ( 17 / 10 ) 63 / 52 ( 17 / 11 ) 64 / 53 ( 18 / 12 ) 64 / 50 ( 18 / 10 ) 62 / 47 ( 17 / 8 ) 58 / 44 ( 14 / 7 ) 55 / 41 ( 13 / 5 ) Fresno 55 / 38 ( 13 / 3 ) 62 / 42 ( 17 / 6 ) 68 / 46 ( 20 / 8 ) 75 / 49 ( 24 / 9 ) 84 / 56 ( 29 / 13 ) 92 / 62 ( 33 / 17 ) 98 / 68 ( 37 / 20 ) 97 / 66 ( 36 / 19 ) 91 / 62 ( 33 / 17 ) 80 / 53 ( 27 / 12 ) 65 / 43 ( 18 / 6 ) 55 / 38 ( 13 / 3 ) Los Angeles 68 / 48 ( 20 / 9 ) 69 / 49 ( 21 / 9 ) 70 / 51 ( 21 / 11 ) 73 / 54 ( 23 / 12 ) 75 / 57 ( 24 / 14 ) 78 / 60 ( 26 / 16 ) 83 / 64 ( 28 / 18 ) 84 / 64 ( 29 / 18 ) 83 / 63 ( 28 / 17 ) 79 / 59 ( 26 / 15 ) 73 / 52 ( 23 / 11 ) 68 / 48 ( 20 / 9 ) Needles 65 / 44 ( 18 / 7 ) 70 / 47 ( 21 / 8 ) 77 / 52 ( 25 / 11 ) 85 / 59 ( 29 / 15 ) 95 / 68 ( 35 / 20 ) 104 / 77 ( 40 / 25 ) 109 / 84 ( 43 / 29 ) 107 / 83 ( 42 / 28 ) 100 / 75 ( 38 / 24 ) 88 / 62 ( 31 / 17 ) 73 / 50 ( 23 / 10 ) 63 / 43 ( 17 / 6 ) Redding 55 / 37 ( 13 / 3 ) 60 / 39 ( 16 / 4 ) 65 / 43 ( 18 / 6 ) 71 / 46 ( 22 / 8 ) 81 / 54 ( 27 / 12 ) 90 / 61 ( 32 / 16 ) 98 / 66 ( 37 / 19 ) 97 / 63 ( 36 / 17 ) 90 / 58 ( 32 / 14 ) 78 / 50 ( 26 / 10 ) 63 / 41 ( 17 / 5 ) 55 / 36 ( 13 / 2 ) Riverside 69 / 43 ( 21 / 6 ) 70 / 45 ( 21 / 7 ) 73 / 46 ( 23 / 8 ) 78 / 50 ( 26 / 10 ) 83 / 55 ( 28 / 13 ) 89 / 60 ( 32 / 16 ) 95 / 64 ( 35 / 18 ) 96 / 65 ( 36 / 18 ) 92 / 61 ( 33 / 16 ) 83 / 55 ( 28 / 13 ) 75 / 47 ( 24 / 8 ) 68 / 42 ( 20 / 6 ) Sacramento 54 / 39 ( 12 / 4 ) 60 / 41 ( 16 / 5 ) 65 / 44 ( 18 / 7 ) 71 / 46 ( 22 / 8 ) 80 / 51 ( 27 / 11 ) 87 / 56 ( 31 / 13 ) 92 / 58 ( 33 / 14 ) 91 / 58 ( 33 / 14 ) 87 / 56 ( 31 / 13 ) 78 / 50 ( 26 / 10 ) 64 / 43 ( 18 / 6 ) 54 / 38 ( 12 / 3 ) San Diego 65 / 49 ( 18 / 9 ) 65 / 51 ( 18 / 11 ) 67 / 53 ( 19 / 12 ) 68 / 56 ( 20 / 13 ) 69 / 59 ( 21 / 15 ) 71 / 62 ( 22 / 17 ) 75 / 65 ( 24 / 18 ) 76 / 67 ( 24 / 19 ) 76 / 65 ( 24 / 18 ) 73 / 61 ( 23 / 16 ) 69 / 54 ( 21 / 12 ) 65 / 48 ( 18 / 9 ) San Francisco 57 / 46 ( 14 / 8 ) 60 / 48 ( 16 / 9 ) 62 / 49 ( 17 / 9 ) 63 / 49 ( 17 / 9 ) 64 / 51 ( 18 / 11 ) 66 / 53 ( 19 / 12 ) 66 / 54 ( 19 / 12 ) 68 / 55 ( 20 / 13 ) 70 / 55 ( 21 / 13 ) 69 / 54 ( 21 / 12 ) 63 / 50 ( 17 / 10 ) 57 / 46 ( 14 / 8 ) San Jose 58 / 42 ( 14 / 6 ) 62 / 45 ( 17 / 7 ) 66 / 47 ( 19 / 8 ) 69 / 49 ( 21 / 9 ) 74 / 52 ( 23 / 11 ) 79 / 56 ( 26 / 13 ) 82 / 58 ( 28 / 14 ) 82 / 58 ( 28 / 14 ) 80 / 57 ( 27 / 14 ) 74 / 53 ( 23 / 12 ) 64 / 46 ( 18 / 8 ) 58 / 42 ( 14 / 6 ) Santa Rosa 59 / 39 ( 15 / 4 ) 63 / 41 ( 17 / 5 ) 67 / 43 ( 19 / 6 ) 70 / 45 ( 21 / 7 ) 75 / 48 ( 24 / 9 ) 80 / 52 ( 27 / 11 ) 82 / 52 ( 28 / 11 ) 83 / 53 ( 28 / 12 ) 83 / 52 ( 28 / 11 ) 78 / 48 ( 26 / 9 ) 67 / 43 ( 19 / 6 ) 59 / 39 ( 15 / 4 ) South Lake Tahoe 43 / 16 ( 6 / − 9 ) 44 / 18 ( 7 / − 8 ) 49 / 23 ( 9 / − 5 ) 54 / 27 ( 12 / − 3 ) 64 / 32 ( 18 / 0 ) 72 / 37 ( 22 / 3 ) 81 / 41 ( 27 / 5 ) 80 / 40 ( 27 / 4 ) 74 / 35 ( 23 / 2 ) 63 / 28 ( 17 / − 2 ) 51 / 22 ( 11 / − 6 ) 43 / 17 ( 6 / − 8 ) Full statistics for selected cities Climate data for Fresno, California ( Fresno Airport ), 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1881 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 78 ( 26 ) 84 ( 29 ) 90 ( 32 ) 101 ( 38 ) 110 ( 43 ) 112 ( 44 ) 115 ( 46 ) 113 ( 45 ) 111 ( 44 ) 102 ( 39 ) 90 ( 32 ) 77 ( 25 ) 115 ( 46 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 54.8 ( 12.7 ) 61.6 ( 16.4 ) 67.6 ( 19.8 ) 74.6 ( 23.7 ) 84.1 ( 28.9 ) 92.0 ( 33.3 ) 98.4 ( 36.9 ) 97.1 ( 36.2 ) 90.9 ( 32.7 ) 79.5 ( 26.4 ) 65.1 ( 18.4 ) 54.9 ( 12.7 ) 76.7 ( 24.8 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 38.3 ( 3.5 ) 41.5 ( 5.3 ) 45.6 ( 7.6 ) 49.4 ( 9.7 ) 56.2 ( 13.4 ) 62.4 ( 16.9 ) 67.6 ( 19.8 ) 66.2 ( 19 ) 61.5 ( 16.4 ) 53.0 ( 11.7 ) 43.4 ( 6.3 ) 38.0 ( 3.3 ) 51.9 ( 11.1 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) 17 ( − 8 ) 24 ( − 4 ) 26 ( − 3 ) 32 ( 0 ) 36 ( 2 ) 42 ( 6 ) 50 ( 10 ) 49 ( 9 ) 37 ( 3 ) 27 ( − 3 ) 26 ( − 3 ) 18 ( − 8 ) 17 ( − 8 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 2.19 ( 55.6 ) 2.03 ( 51.6 ) 2.03 ( 51.6 ) 0.95 ( 24.1 ) 0.43 ( 10.9 ) 0.21 ( 5.3 ) 0.01 ( 0.3 ) 0.01 ( 0.3 ) 0.17 ( 4.3 ) 0.63 ( 16 ) 1.07 ( 27.2 ) 1.77 ( 45 ) 11.50 ( 292.1 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 7.6 8.6 7.5 4.5 0.7 0.2 0.3 1.0 2.5 5.5 7.5 48.1 Average relative humidity ( % ) 83.3 77.2 68.9 57.4 47.3 41.9 39.2 44.7 50.0 58.5 74.1 84.2 60.6 Mean monthly sunshine hours 141.5 196.9 286.2 335.5 398.9 412.2 428.2 399.6 345.9 302.3 189.9 127.1 3,564.2 Percent possible sunshine 46 65 77 85 91 94 96 95 93 87 62 42 80 Source : NOAA ( relative humidity and sun 1961 -- 1990 ), Weather.com Climate data for Los Angeles ( USC, Downtown ), 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1877 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 95 ( 35 ) 95 ( 35 ) 99 ( 37 ) 106 ( 41 ) 103 ( 39 ) 112 ( 44 ) 109 ( 43 ) 106 ( 41 ) 113 ( 45 ) 108 ( 42 ) 100 ( 38 ) 92 ( 33 ) 113 ( 45 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 83.3 ( 28.5 ) 84.3 ( 29.1 ) 85.8 ( 29.9 ) 91.2 ( 32.9 ) 89.7 ( 32.1 ) 90.2 ( 32.3 ) 94.1 ( 34.5 ) 95.3 ( 35.2 ) 98.9 ( 37.2 ) 95.5 ( 35.3 ) 88.0 ( 31.1 ) 81.4 ( 27.4 ) 102.7 ( 39.3 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 68.2 ( 20.1 ) 68.6 ( 20.3 ) 70.2 ( 21.2 ) 72.7 ( 22.6 ) 74.5 ( 23.6 ) 78.1 ( 25.6 ) 83.1 ( 28.4 ) 84.4 ( 29.1 ) 83.1 ( 28.4 ) 78.5 ( 25.8 ) 72.8 ( 22.7 ) 67.7 ( 19.8 ) 75.2 ( 24 ) Daily mean ° F ( ° C ) 58.0 ( 14.4 ) 58.9 ( 14.9 ) 60.6 ( 15.9 ) 63.1 ( 17.3 ) 65.8 ( 18.8 ) 69.2 ( 20.7 ) 73.3 ( 22.9 ) 74.3 ( 23.5 ) 73.1 ( 22.8 ) 68.6 ( 20.3 ) 62.4 ( 16.9 ) 57.6 ( 14.2 ) 65.4 ( 18.6 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 47.8 ( 8.8 ) 49.3 ( 9.6 ) 51.0 ( 10.6 ) 53.5 ( 11.9 ) 57.1 ( 13.9 ) 60.3 ( 15.7 ) 63.6 ( 17.6 ) 64.1 ( 17.8 ) 63.1 ( 17.3 ) 58.7 ( 14.8 ) 52.0 ( 11.1 ) 47.5 ( 8.6 ) 55.7 ( 13.2 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) 41.3 ( 5.2 ) 42.9 ( 6.1 ) 44.9 ( 7.2 ) 48.4 ( 9.1 ) 53.6 ( 12 ) 57.2 ( 14 ) 61.2 ( 16.2 ) 61.8 ( 16.6 ) 59.2 ( 15.1 ) 54.1 ( 12.3 ) 45.0 ( 7.2 ) 40.8 ( 4.9 ) 39.1 ( 3.9 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) 28 ( − 2 ) 28 ( − 2 ) 31 ( − 1 ) 36 ( 2 ) 40 ( 4 ) 46 ( 8 ) 49 ( 9 ) 49 ( 9 ) 44 ( 7 ) 40 ( 4 ) 34 ( 1 ) 30 ( − 1 ) 28 ( − 2 ) Average rainfall inches ( mm ) 3.12 ( 79.2 ) 3.80 ( 96.5 ) 2.43 ( 61.7 ) 0.91 ( 23.1 ) 0.26 ( 6.6 ) 0.09 ( 2.3 ) 0.01 ( 0.3 ) 0.04 ( 1 ) 0.24 ( 6.1 ) 0.66 ( 16.8 ) 1.04 ( 26.4 ) 2.33 ( 59.2 ) 14.93 ( 379.2 ) Average rainy days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 6.1 6.4 5.5 3.2 1.3 0.6 0.3 0.3 1.0 2.5 3.3 5.2 35.7 Mean monthly sunshine hours 225.3 222.5 267.0 303.5 276.2 275.8 364.1 349.5 278.5 255.1 217.3 219.4 3,254.2 Percent possible sunshine 71 72 72 78 64 64 83 84 75 73 70 71 73 Source : NOAA ( sun 1961 -- 1977 ) Climate data for Los Angeles ( LAX ), 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1944 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 91 ( 33 ) 92 ( 33 ) 95 ( 35 ) 95 ( 35 ) 91 ( 33 ) 103 ( 39 ) 93 ( 34 ) 98 ( 37 ) 106 ( 41 ) 101 ( 38 ) 101 ( 38 ) 94 ( 34 ) 106 ( 41 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 81.2 ( 27.3 ) 81.0 ( 27.2 ) 79.6 ( 26.4 ) 83.4 ( 28.6 ) 79.9 ( 26.6 ) 80.0 ( 26.7 ) 83.6 ( 28.7 ) 85.7 ( 29.8 ) 90.1 ( 32.3 ) 89.9 ( 32.2 ) 85.5 ( 29.7 ) 78.9 ( 26.1 ) 94.7 ( 34.8 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 64.6 ( 18.1 ) 64.3 ( 17.9 ) 64.4 ( 18 ) 66.4 ( 19.1 ) 68.1 ( 20.1 ) 70.6 ( 21.4 ) 73.8 ( 23.2 ) 74.9 ( 23.8 ) 74.6 ( 23.7 ) 72.5 ( 22.5 ) 68.9 ( 20.5 ) 64.6 ( 18.1 ) 69.0 ( 20.6 ) Daily mean ° F ( ° C ) 56.7 ( 13.7 ) 57.1 ( 13.9 ) 58.0 ( 14.4 ) 60.1 ( 15.6 ) 62.7 ( 17.1 ) 65.5 ( 18.6 ) 68.8 ( 20.4 ) 69.6 ( 20.9 ) 68.9 ( 20.5 ) 65.9 ( 18.8 ) 61.1 ( 16.2 ) 56.6 ( 13.7 ) 62.6 ( 17 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 48.8 ( 9.3 ) 50.0 ( 10 ) 51.7 ( 10.9 ) 53.8 ( 12.1 ) 57.3 ( 14.1 ) 60.5 ( 15.8 ) 63.7 ( 17.6 ) 64.3 ( 17.9 ) 63.2 ( 17.3 ) 59.3 ( 15.2 ) 53.2 ( 11.8 ) 48.7 ( 9.3 ) 56.2 ( 13.4 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) 41.1 ( 5.1 ) 42.5 ( 5.8 ) 44.6 ( 7 ) 47.5 ( 8.6 ) 52.5 ( 11.4 ) 56.2 ( 13.4 ) 59.8 ( 15.4 ) 60.6 ( 15.9 ) 58.4 ( 14.7 ) 52.7 ( 11.5 ) 45.3 ( 7.4 ) 40.9 ( 4.9 ) 38.8 ( 3.8 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) 27 ( − 3 ) 34 ( 1 ) 35 ( 2 ) 42 ( 6 ) 45 ( 7 ) 48 ( 9 ) 52 ( 11 ) 51 ( 11 ) 47 ( 8 ) 43 ( 6 ) 38 ( 3 ) 32 ( 0 ) 27 ( − 3 ) Average rainfall inches ( mm ) 2.71 ( 68.8 ) 3.25 ( 82.6 ) 1.85 ( 47 ) 0.70 ( 17.8 ) 0.22 ( 5.6 ) 0.08 ( 2 ) 0.03 ( 0.8 ) 0.05 ( 1.3 ) 0.21 ( 5.3 ) 0.56 ( 14.2 ) 1.11 ( 28.2 ) 2.05 ( 52.1 ) 12.82 ( 325.6 ) Average rainy days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 6.0 6.6 5.8 2.8 1.2 0.6 0.5 0.3 1.0 2.3 3.4 5.2 35.7 Average relative humidity ( % ) 63.4 67.9 70.5 71.0 74.0 75.9 76.6 76.6 74.2 70.5 65.5 62.9 70.8 Source : NOAA ( relative humidity 1961 -- 1990 ) Climate data for Sacramento, California ( Sacramento Executive Airport ), 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1941 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 76 ( 24 ) 76 ( 24 ) 88 ( 31 ) 95 ( 35 ) 105 ( 41 ) 115 ( 46 ) 114 ( 46 ) 110 ( 43 ) 108 ( 42 ) 104 ( 40 ) 87 ( 31 ) 73 ( 23 ) 115 ( 46 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 64.0 ( 17.8 ) 70.5 ( 21.4 ) 76.8 ( 24.9 ) 87.2 ( 30.7 ) 95.8 ( 35.4 ) 102.3 ( 39.1 ) 105.0 ( 40.6 ) 103.7 ( 39.8 ) 100.1 ( 37.8 ) 91.6 ( 33.1 ) 76.1 ( 24.5 ) 64.6 ( 18.1 ) 106.8 ( 41.6 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 53.8 ( 12.1 ) 60.3 ( 15.7 ) 65.1 ( 18.4 ) 71.1 ( 21.7 ) 79.9 ( 26.6 ) 87.1 ( 30.6 ) 92.1 ( 33.4 ) 91.2 ( 32.9 ) 87.2 ( 30.7 ) 77.6 ( 25.3 ) 63.8 ( 17.7 ) 53.9 ( 12.2 ) 73.6 ( 23.1 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 38.8 ( 3.8 ) 41.4 ( 5.2 ) 44.1 ( 6.7 ) 46.2 ( 7.9 ) 51.1 ( 10.6 ) 55.8 ( 13.2 ) 58.4 ( 14.7 ) 58.0 ( 14.4 ) 55.7 ( 13.2 ) 50.2 ( 10.1 ) 42.8 ( 6 ) 38.4 ( 3.6 ) 48.4 ( 9.1 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) 29.1 ( − 1.6 ) 31.5 ( − 0.3 ) 35.1 ( 1.7 ) 38.0 ( 3.3 ) 42.9 ( 6.1 ) 48.7 ( 9.3 ) 53.1 ( 11.7 ) 53.0 ( 11.7 ) 49.2 ( 9.6 ) 41.7 ( 5.4 ) 32.5 ( 0.3 ) 28.5 ( − 1.9 ) 26.6 ( − 3 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) 20 ( − 7 ) 23 ( − 5 ) 26 ( − 3 ) 31 ( − 1 ) 34 ( 1 ) 41 ( 5 ) 48 ( 9 ) 48 ( 9 ) 42 ( 6 ) 35 ( 2 ) 26 ( − 3 ) 18 ( − 8 ) 18 ( − 8 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 3.64 ( 92.5 ) 3.47 ( 88.1 ) 2.75 ( 69.9 ) 1.15 ( 29.2 ) 0.68 ( 17.3 ) 0.21 ( 5.3 ) trace 0.05 ( 1.3 ) 0.29 ( 7.4 ) 0.97 ( 24.6 ) 2.11 ( 53.6 ) 3.25 ( 82.6 ) 18.75 ( 476.3 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 10.3 9.4 9.1 4.9 3.2 1.2 0.0 0.3 1.3 3.6 6.9 9.9 60.0 Average relative humidity ( % ) 83.3 76.8 71.6 64.5 58.9 55.0 53.2 55.7 57.0 63.1 75.6 82.9 66.5 Mean monthly sunshine hours 145.5 201.3 278.0 329.6 406.3 419.5 440.2 406.9 347.8 296.7 194.9 141.1 3,607.8 Percent possible sunshine 48 67 75 83 92 94 98 96 93 86 64 48 81 Source : NOAA ( relative humidity and sun 1961 -- 1990 ) Climate data for Sacramento 5 ESE, California ( 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1877 -- present ) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 79 ( 26 ) 80 ( 27 ) 90 ( 32 ) 98 ( 37 ) 107 ( 42 ) 112 ( 44 ) 114 ( 46 ) 111 ( 44 ) 109 ( 43 ) 102 ( 39 ) 86 ( 30 ) 72 ( 22 ) 114 ( 46 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 65.7 ( 18.7 ) 72.8 ( 22.7 ) 80.0 ( 26.7 ) 90.2 ( 32.3 ) 97.9 ( 36.6 ) 104.1 ( 40.1 ) 106.6 ( 41.4 ) 105.4 ( 40.8 ) 101.7 ( 38.7 ) 93.1 ( 33.9 ) 77.0 ( 25 ) 65.6 ( 18.7 ) 108.3 ( 42.4 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 54.4 ( 12.4 ) 61.2 ( 16.2 ) 66.8 ( 19.3 ) 72.7 ( 22.6 ) 80.9 ( 27.2 ) 87.9 ( 31.1 ) 93.3 ( 34.1 ) 92.2 ( 33.4 ) 87.9 ( 31.1 ) 77.9 ( 25.5 ) 63.7 ( 17.6 ) 54.3 ( 12.4 ) 74.4 ( 23.6 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 40.7 ( 4.8 ) 43.7 ( 6.5 ) 46.5 ( 8.1 ) 49.0 ( 9.4 ) 53.9 ( 12.2 ) 58.4 ( 14.7 ) 60.9 ( 16.1 ) 60.5 ( 15.8 ) 58.4 ( 14.7 ) 52.8 ( 11.6 ) 45.5 ( 7.5 ) 40.4 ( 4.7 ) 50.9 ( 10.5 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) 32.8 ( 0.4 ) 35.0 ( 1.7 ) 38.7 ( 3.7 ) 41.9 ( 5.5 ) 46.7 ( 8.2 ) 51.6 ( 10.9 ) 55.0 ( 12.8 ) 55.3 ( 12.9 ) 52.1 ( 11.2 ) 45.1 ( 7.3 ) 35.7 ( 2.1 ) 31.5 ( − 0.3 ) 30.1 ( − 1.1 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) 19 ( − 7 ) 21 ( − 6 ) 29 ( − 2 ) 34 ( 1 ) 37 ( 3 ) 43 ( 6 ) 47 ( 8 ) 48 ( 9 ) 44 ( 7 ) 34 ( 1 ) 27 ( − 3 ) 17 ( − 8 ) 17 ( − 8 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 3.63 ( 92.2 ) 3.90 ( 99.1 ) 2.86 ( 72.6 ) 1.36 ( 34.5 ) 0.75 ( 19 ) 0.21 ( 5.3 ) 0.02 ( 0.5 ) 0.04 ( 1 ) 0.35 ( 8.9 ) 1.06 ( 26.9 ) 2.46 ( 62.5 ) 3.43 ( 87.1 ) 20.06 ( 509.5 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 11.2 9.8 9.2 5.2 3.2 1.2 0.1 0.4 1.4 3.6 7.4 10.5 63.5 Source : NOAA, Western Regional Climate Center Climate data for San Francisco ( downtown ), 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1849 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 79 ( 26 ) 81 ( 27 ) 87 ( 31 ) 94 ( 34 ) 97 ( 36 ) 103 ( 39 ) 98 ( 37 ) 98 ( 37 ) 106 ( 41 ) 102 ( 39 ) 86 ( 30 ) 76 ( 24 ) 106 ( 41 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 67.3 ( 19.6 ) 72.5 ( 22.5 ) 75.7 ( 24.3 ) 82.3 ( 27.9 ) 82.7 ( 28.2 ) 86.0 ( 30 ) 83.1 ( 28.4 ) 85.5 ( 29.7 ) 89.6 ( 32 ) 88.1 ( 31.2 ) 76.1 ( 24.5 ) 66.4 ( 19.1 ) 94.3 ( 34.6 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 56.9 ( 13.8 ) 60.2 ( 15.7 ) 61.8 ( 16.6 ) 63.1 ( 17.3 ) 64.3 ( 17.9 ) 66.4 ( 19.1 ) 66.5 ( 19.2 ) 68.1 ( 20.1 ) 70.2 ( 21.2 ) 69.2 ( 20.7 ) 63.1 ( 17.3 ) 57.1 ( 13.9 ) 63.9 ( 17.7 ) Daily mean ° F ( ° C ) 51.3 ( 10.7 ) 53.9 ( 12.2 ) 55.1 ( 12.8 ) 56.2 ( 13.4 ) 57.6 ( 14.2 ) 59.6 ( 15.3 ) 60.3 ( 15.7 ) 61.6 ( 16.4 ) 62.7 ( 17.1 ) 61.5 ( 16.4 ) 56.6 ( 13.7 ) 51.6 ( 10.9 ) 57.3 ( 14.1 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 45.7 ( 7.6 ) 47.5 ( 8.6 ) 48.5 ( 9.2 ) 49.2 ( 9.6 ) 51.0 ( 10.6 ) 52.8 ( 11.6 ) 54.1 ( 12.3 ) 55.1 ( 12.8 ) 55.1 ( 12.8 ) 53.7 ( 12.1 ) 50.1 ( 10.1 ) 46.1 ( 7.8 ) 50.7 ( 10.4 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) 40.3 ( 4.6 ) 41.8 ( 5.4 ) 43.6 ( 6.4 ) 45.1 ( 7.3 ) 47.7 ( 8.7 ) 50.2 ( 10.1 ) 51.5 ( 10.8 ) 52.6 ( 11.4 ) 52.0 ( 11.1 ) 49.6 ( 9.8 ) 44.2 ( 6.8 ) 40.1 ( 4.5 ) 38.2 ( 3.4 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) 29 ( − 2 ) 31 ( − 1 ) 33 ( 1 ) 40 ( 4 ) 42 ( 6 ) 46 ( 8 ) 47 ( 8 ) 46 ( 8 ) 47 ( 8 ) 43 ( 6 ) 38 ( 3 ) 27 ( − 3 ) 27 ( − 3 ) Average rainfall inches ( mm ) 4.50 ( 114.3 ) 4.46 ( 113.3 ) 3.26 ( 82.8 ) 1.46 ( 37.1 ) 0.70 ( 17.8 ) 0.16 ( 4.1 ) 0.00 ( 0 ) 0.06 ( 1.5 ) 0.21 ( 5.3 ) 1.12 ( 28.4 ) 3.16 ( 80.3 ) 4.56 ( 115.8 ) 23.65 ( 600.7 ) Average rainy days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 11.7 11.1 11.0 6.5 3.8 1.5 0.3 1.0 1.7 3.9 8.9 11.6 73.0 Average relative humidity ( % ) 80 77 75 72 72 71 75 75 73 71 75 78 74.5 Mean monthly sunshine hours 185.9 207.7 269.1 309.3 325.1 311.4 313.3 287.4 271.4 247.1 173.4 160.6 3,061.7 Percent possible sunshine 61 69 73 78 74 70 70 68 73 71 57 54 69 Source # 1 : NOAA ( sun 1961 -- 1974 ) Source # 2 : Met Office for humidity Climate data for San Diego Int'l Airport ( 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1874 -- present ) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 88 ( 31 ) 90 ( 32 ) 99 ( 37 ) 98 ( 37 ) 98 ( 37 ) 101 ( 38 ) 100 ( 38 ) 98 ( 37 ) 111 ( 44 ) 107 ( 42 ) 100 ( 38 ) 88 ( 31 ) 111 ( 44 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 78.4 ( 25.8 ) 79.2 ( 26.2 ) 79.8 ( 26.6 ) 82.8 ( 28.2 ) 79.0 ( 26.1 ) 81.2 ( 27.3 ) 83.2 ( 28.4 ) 85.4 ( 29.7 ) 89.5 ( 31.9 ) 86.8 ( 30.4 ) 82.9 ( 28.3 ) 76.6 ( 24.8 ) 94.1 ( 34.5 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 65.1 ( 18.4 ) 65.0 ( 18.3 ) 65.6 ( 18.7 ) 67.5 ( 19.7 ) 68.5 ( 20.3 ) 70.8 ( 21.6 ) 74.6 ( 23.7 ) 76.4 ( 24.7 ) 75.9 ( 24.4 ) 72.8 ( 22.7 ) 69.0 ( 20.6 ) 64.7 ( 18.2 ) 69.7 ( 20.9 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 49.0 ( 9.4 ) 50.7 ( 10.4 ) 53.2 ( 11.8 ) 55.9 ( 13.3 ) 59.4 ( 15.2 ) 62.0 ( 16.7 ) 65.4 ( 18.6 ) 66.7 ( 19.3 ) 65.2 ( 18.4 ) 60.6 ( 15.9 ) 53.6 ( 12 ) 48.4 ( 9.1 ) 57.5 ( 14.2 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) 41.9 ( 5.5 ) 44.6 ( 7 ) 47.1 ( 8.4 ) 50.7 ( 10.4 ) 55.0 ( 12.8 ) 59.1 ( 15.1 ) 62.5 ( 16.9 ) 63.3 ( 17.4 ) 60.4 ( 15.8 ) 54.4 ( 12.4 ) 45.8 ( 7.7 ) 41.4 ( 5.2 ) 40.3 ( 4.6 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) 25 ( − 4 ) 34 ( 1 ) 36 ( 2 ) 39 ( 4 ) 45 ( 7 ) 50 ( 10 ) 54 ( 12 ) 54 ( 12 ) 50 ( 10 ) 43 ( 6 ) 36 ( 2 ) 32 ( 0 ) 25 ( − 4 ) Average rainfall inches ( mm ) 1.98 ( 50.3 ) 2.27 ( 57.7 ) 1.81 ( 46 ) 0.78 ( 19.8 ) 0.12 ( 3 ) 0.07 ( 1.8 ) 0.03 ( 0.8 ) 0.02 ( 0.5 ) 0.15 ( 3.8 ) 0.57 ( 14.5 ) 1.01 ( 25.7 ) 1.53 ( 38.9 ) 10.34 ( 262.6 ) Average rainy days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 6.7 7.1 6.5 4.0 1.4 0.8 0.7 0.4 1.2 2.8 4.1 5.8 41.5 Average relative humidity ( % ) 63.1 65.7 67.3 67.0 70.6 74.0 74.6 74.1 72.7 69.4 66.3 63.7 69.0 Mean monthly sunshine hours 239.3 227.4 261.0 276.2 250.5 242.4 304.7 295.0 253.3 243.4 230.1 231.3 3,054.6 Percent possible sunshine 75 74 70 71 58 57 70 71 68 69 73 74 69 Source : NOAA ( sun and relative humidity 1961 -- 1990 ) Precipitation This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2014 ) Average annual precipitation Percent Area in U.S. Drought Monitor Categories See also : United States rainfall climatology The large Westerly winds from the oceans also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher annual rainfall amounts than the south. California 's mountain ranges influence the climate as well : moisture - laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture ; some of the rainiest parts of the state are west - facing mountain slopes. Northwestern California has a temperate climate with rainfall of 15 inches ( 380 mm ) to 50 inches ( 1,300 mm ) per year. Some areas of Coast Redwood forest receive over 100 inches ( 2,500 mm ) of precipitation per year. The Central Valley has a wide range of precipitation. The northern parts of the Central Valley receive substantially greater precipitation from winter storms which sweep down from the Pacific Northwest, while the southernmost regions of the Central Valley are near desert - like because of a lack of precipitation. Parts of the Valley are occasionally filled with thick fog ( known locally as `` tule fog '' ). The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, and the Klamath Mountains, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and mild to moderate heat in summer. Ski resorts at Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes, and Mount Shasta routinely receive over 10 feet ( 3.0 m ) of snow in a season, and some years, substantially more -- leading, for example, to annual ski races on the Fourth of July. On the east side of the mountains is a drier rain shadow. California 's desert climate regions lie east of the high Sierra Nevada and southern California 's Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges. The low deserts east of the southern California mountains, including the Imperial and Coachella valleys and the lower Colorado River, are part of the Sonoran Desert, with minimal frost in the winter ; the higher elevation deserts of eastern California, including the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, are part of the Great Basin region, which has a more continental climate. During the summer months, especially from July through early September, the region is affected by the Mexican Monsoon ( also called the `` southwest monsoon '' ), which drives moisture from the tropical Pacific, Gulf of California, and / or Gulf of Mexico into the deserts, setting off brief, but often torrential thunderstorms, particularly over mountainous terrain. Despite its long coastline, California is not vulnerable to tropical cyclones. Because of the cold California Current from the North Pacific Ocean and the fact that the storms tend to `` steer '' west, California has only been hit with two tropical storms in recorded history, a storm which came ashore in 1939 and dumped heavy rainfall on the Los Angeles Area and interior deserts and Tropical Storm Nora. The remnants of tropical systems will affect California more commonly, every several years. The ENSO cycle has a huge effect on rainfall and snowfall patterns in California, especially during the winter and spring seasons. During the El Niño phase, the jet stream is located south through California, allowing for warmer temperatures and more heavy rains to occur, particularly in the southern portions of the state. During the La Niña phase, the jet stream is much further north, and therefore the far northern portions of California are wetter, while the southern half stays cool and dry. Snow in the mountains of Southern California Summer in the Sierra Nevada at Lake Tahoe High precipitation in 2005 caused an ephemeral lake in the Badwater Basin of Death Valley. Wildfires Active flame front of the Zaca Fire, the second largest fire on record in California External video Wildfires in California 2015. Summers in inland California can see temperatures well over 100 ° F ( 38 ° C ) during the day and less than 0.3 in ( 7.6 mm ) of monthly rainfall, particularly in the southern areas. This makes them prone to wildfires. These can be life - threatening and cause evacuation. Wildfires are less common along the coast because of the cooler, more humid summers, but can occur in autumn when the marine layer is less common, making temperatures warmer and humidity drop significantly. Glossary The following are terms used to describe local or regional weather events. Santa Ana winds : Santa Anas are hot, high winds that blow from the eastern mountains and deserts towards coastal southern California, usually in the spring and fall. They are the result of air pressure buildup between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains. This air mass spills out, is pulled by gravity, and circulates clockwise around the high pressure area, bringing winds from the east and northeast ; as the air descends in elevation, it heats up and the humidity plummets to less than 15 percent. It is often said that the air is heated and dried as it passes through the nearby deserts, but according to meteorologists this is a popular misconception ( it is actually due to adiabatic compression as the air flows from the higher elevations down to sea level ) ; during Santa Ana conditions, it is typically hotter along the coast than in the deserts. As the Santa Ana winds are channeled through the mountain passes they can approach hurricane force. The combination of speed, heat, and dryness turns the chaparral into explosive fuel for wildfires. Pineapple Express : A complex combination of events, bringing high levels of torrential precipitation to California. The Pineapple Express occurs when the jet stream dips across California, and warm, humid air from the mid-Pacific ( from the vicinity of Hawaii -- hence, the name ) is drawn towards California. The resulting combination can cause extraordinarily heavy rains. A January 2005 Pineapple Express dropped nearly 25 inches ( 63.5 cm ) of rain in Santa Barbara County. Tule fog : A thick ground fog that settles in the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley areas of the California Central Valley. Tule fog forms during the mid fall, winter to early spring after the first significant rainfall. This phenomenon is named after the tule grass wetlands of the Central Valley. Tule fog can extend from Bakersfield to Chico. Accidents caused by the tule fog are the leading cause of weather - related deaths in California ; visibility is usually less than an eighth of a mile ( about 600 feet or 183 -- 200 m ), but can be less than 10 feet ( 3 m ). May Gray / June Gloom : A characteristic weather pattern of late spring ( May and June ) in which a combination of inland heat, off - shore cool water, and prevailing wind patterns bring foggy and overcast weather to coastal regions. From Point Conception northwards the gloom continues until early autumn. ( See also : Catalina eddy ) Marine layer : The cool, moist layer of air coming in from the ocean which typically includes fog. A standard weather phenomenon along the northern and central California coast from late spring to early fall. `` Earthquake weather : '' Any unseasonal, uncomfortable weather, typically hot and more humid than usual, and often associated with high and mid-level clouds, is spoken of ( usually jokingly ) as `` earthquake weather. '' Gallery Visitors at Redwood National Park Mediterranean climate at Santa Barbara Storms over California Play media Storms over California See also Floods in California Climate change in California List of wettest known tropical cyclones in California Climate of southern California Notes Jump up ^ Official records for Fresno kept September 1881 to 15 August 1887 at downtown, 16 August 1887 to June 1939 at Fresno City Offices, July 1939 to 20 August 1949 at Chandler Field, and at Fresno Yosemite Int'l since 21 August 1949. For more information, see Threadex ^ Jump up to : Cite error : The named reference Strange field expl was invoked but never defined ( see the help page ). Jump up ^ Official records for Sacramento were kept exclusively at the airport since 10 November 1941. Jump up ^ The coordinates of the station are 37 ° 46 ′ 14 '' N 122 ° 25 ′ 37 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.7706 ° N 122.4269 ° W ﻿ / 37.7706 ; - 122.4269. Precipitation, high temperature, low temperature, snow, and snow depth records date from 1 October 1849, 1 June 1874, 1 January 1875, 1 January 1876, and 1 January 1922, respectively. Jump up ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima ( i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month ) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010. Jump up ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima ( i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year ) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010. Jump up ^ Official precipitation records for San Diego were kept at the Weather Bureau Office in downtown from October 1850 to December 1859 at the Mission San Diego and from November 1871 to June 1939 and a variety of buildings at downtown, and at San Diego Int'l ( Lindbergh Field ) since July 1939. Temperature records, however, only date from October 1874. For more information on data coverage, see ThreadEx References ^ Jump up to : `` San Francisco Downtown, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` San Francisco Oceanside, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ average temperatures in Walnut Creek. Jump up ^ Average temperatures in Santa Monica compared to average temperatures in Burbank. Jump up ^ 1981 -- 2010 Monthly Climate Normals Jump up ^ El Fadli, KI ; et al. ( September 2012 ). `` World Meteorological Organization Assessment of the Purported World Record 58 ° C Temperature Extreme at El Azizia, Libya ( 13 September 1922 ) ''. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 94 ( 2 ) : 199. Bibcode : 2013BAMS... 94... 199E. doi : 10.1175 / BAMS - D - 12 - 00093.1. ( The 136.4 ° F ( 58 ° C ), claimed by ' Aziziya, Libya, on September 13, 1922, has been officially deemed invalid by the World Meteorological Organization. ) Jump up ^ `` World Meteorological Organization World Weather / Climate Extremes Archive ''. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013. Jump up ^ `` Alturas, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Bakersfield Airport, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Bishop Airport, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Bodie, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Death Valley ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Eureka WFO Woodley Island, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Fresno Yosemite International Airport, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Los Angeles Downtown University of Southern California Campus, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Needles Airport, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Redding Municipal Airport ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Riverside Fire Station 3, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Sacramento Executive Airport, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` San Diego Lindbergh Field, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` San Jose ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` Santa Rosa, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` South Lake Tahoe Airport, California ''. National Climatic Data Center ( NCDC ) 1981 - 2010 Monthly Normals. Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Jump up ^ `` NowData -- NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : CA FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL AP ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 22. Jump up ^ `` WMO Climate Normals for FRESNO / AIR TERMINAL CA 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Average Weather for Fresno, CA -- Temperature and Precipitation ''. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2011 - 09 - 20. ^ Jump up to : `` NowData -- NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 7, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : CA LOS ANGELES DWTN USC CAMPUS ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 05 - 09. Jump up ^ `` LOS ANGELES / WBO CA Climate Normals ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : CA LOS ANGELES INTL AP ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 05 - 09. Jump up ^ `` WMO Climate Normals for LOS ANGELES / INTL, CA 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 17. Jump up ^ ThreadEx ^ Jump up to : `` NowData -- NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 19. Jump up ^ `` WMO Climate Normals for SACRAMENTO / EXECUTIVE ARPT CA 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 11. Jump up ^ `` SACRAMENTO 5 ESE, CALIFORNIA ''. Western Regional Climate Center. Jump up ^ `` NowData -- NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : CA SAN FRANCISCO DWTN ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 18. Jump up ^ `` San Francisco / Mission Dolores, CA Climate Normals 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` San Francisco holiday weather ''. Met Office. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Conner, Glen. History of weather observations San Diego, California 1849 -- 1948. Climate Database Modernization Program, NOAA 's National Climatic Data Center. pp. 7 -- 8. Jump up ^ `` NowData -- NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 11 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : CA San Diego Lindbergh FLD ''. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` San Diego / Lindbergh Field CA Climate Normals 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2 June 2015. 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Question: where does it snow a lot in california
Answer: The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, and the Klamath Mountains