About the Installation 1. The Monterey Bay is the hub of the fishing industry located on California's Central Coast. To the north, cultivated fields produce artichokes, and to the south lies the Salinas Valley, where lettuce grows in abundance. The area enjoys a mild climate throughout the year dominated by ocean breezes off of the Pacific.
Rainfall is rare and snow is almost unheard of during the winter months.
Temperatures typically range in the 60s to 70s during the day and 40s to 50s at night. Frequent banks of fog from the Pacific keep daily temperatures mild. N umerous continued educational facilities lie within a short drive, to include California State University Monterey Bay , Monterey Peninsula College , Monterey Institute of International Studies and the Naval Postgraduate School . The military has played a vital role on the Monterey Peninsula since 1770, when a small expedition led by Captain Gaspar de Portola took possession for Spain of what is now Central California. Spain moved to occupy that portion of the western American coast which she previously neglected.