The Presidio of Monterey, Directorate of Environmental and Natural Resources, manages the cleanup of the former Fort Ord under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The area's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The Pacific Ocean is the principal influence on the climate at Fort Ord, causing fog and onshore winds that moderate temperature extremes. Daily ambient air temperatures typically range from 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but temperatures in the low 100s have occurred. Fog is common in the morning throughout the year.
Winds are generally from the west.
The average annual rainfall of 14 inches occurs almost entirely between November and April. Because the predominant soil is permeable sand, runoff is limited and streamflow only occurs intermittently and within the very steep canyons in the eastern portion of Fort Ord. Ecological Setting Fort Ord is located on California's central coast, a biologically diverse and unique region. The range and combination of climactic, topographic, and soil conditions at Fort Ord support many biological communities. The 11 plant communities identified at the Fort Ord sites include coast live oak woodland, central maritime chaparral, central coastal scrub, vegetatively stabilized dune, northern foredune grassland, landscaped, valley needlegrass grassland, seasonally wet grassland, vernal pool, upland ruderal, and wet ruderal.