The average rainfall is only about 18 inches, mostly between late November and mid April. Freezing temperatures are uncommon and snowfall is extremely rare, even in the higher terrain nearby. A prevailing feature of summertime weather is the coastal fog or stratus overcast that affects most of the area. This is almost always a low overcast the burns off in the late morning and moves back in before midnight. During the winter, the coolest areas are inland away from the ocean.
Winds are lightest in the winter and highest in the summer, except for occasional storm systems.
Air quality is good with generally very low pollution levels. Thunderstorms average two days per year. All major religions and denominations are represented. The Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, as well as Natividad Medical Center are all within commuting distance of the Monterey Weather Service Forecast Office. Also the San Francisco Bay Area, only about 1 hours north, provides some of the highest quality care in the world.