Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-28
0. OUR l CLIMATE.
Il FEW FACTS OF INTEREST TO
EASTERN READERS.
Wonderful Similarity of Climate
Between the Northern and
Southern Portions.
rs. F. Bulletin. July 2lst.

Inquiry has shown that the teachers
who are now visiting California have no
better idea of this State than the average
tourist from the East. Like the latter
they suppose that what they have been
taught by books and by observation to be-
lieve to be the invariable rule will be
found here as on the Atlantic coast or in
the Mississippi valley. They think that
if they wish to go to a cooler portion of
the State they will be obliged to go north;
or that to enjoy warmer climate they
must 60 south. 1t will, therefore, be to
them not only matter of interest but of
surprise to be shown that in California the
usual course of nature seems to be re-
versed; that here, to find a warmer eli
mate, we do not 60 south, but east or west,
according to the point from which we
start; that to find cooler climate, we
also go east or west, according to our loca-
ton. These remarkable facts will, when
called to the attention of our visitors be
sufficient to induce them to study the
physical geography of the State, which is
productive of such surprising results.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.
The physical geography of California is,
IN brief, this: Across the northern end of
the State extends belt of mountains with
many warm and fertile valleys here and
there eighty or 100 miles wide From the
eastern edge of this belt, and following
pretty closely the eastern boundary of the
State to point fifty or sixty miles north
of Los Angeles, the great Sierra Nevada
Range protects the lands lying at its west
ern foot from the cold winds and Billiards
of Idaho and Dakota. From the western
edge of the mountainous belt of the north
ern border extends southwark along the
coast what is known as the Coast Range,
which sends downward north of this city,
and northward in the region south of San
Francisco, fingers, as they may be called,
of mountain ridges, between which are
some Of the most beautiful valleys of the
State. Between the Coast Range and the
Sierra Nevada lie the great Sacramento
and San joaquin valleys, practically one,
four hundred miles from north to south and
forty or fifty from east to west. From the
junction of the two great ranges, some fifty
miles north of Los Angeles, single broken
range extends to the Mexican line. The
region extending south from this junction
Is known as Southern California. What
follows relates to the region north of that
line, that to the south being an epitome of
II. We have, then, the Coast Range paral-
lei TO the coast, between the projecting
fingers Of which we have, north of San
Francisco, the Santa Rosa and Russian
River valleys practically one) the Sono-
ma valley to the east, separated from the
former by range extending southwark to
San Pablo bay; still further east the beau
tiful Napa valley, and then crossing an
other range the great valley of the Sacra-
mento. South of San Francisco we have
the rich and picturesque Santa Clara and
Salinas valleys; over the ridge to the east,
the Livermore valley and then the vast
valley of the San Joaquin.
ANOTHER GULF STREAM
Every teacher who has crossed the
Rocky Mountains to come to San Fran
cisco knows all about the Gulf tream and
the influence it exerts upon the climate of
England and the western part of the Eu-
ropean continent. But it is safe to say
that very few know that the western coast
of North America is also subject to the
beneficent influence of similar stream of
warm water flowing up from the tropical
regions of the Asiatic border of the Pacific,
and which, curving eastward, strikes our
shores. That Alaska is not like Green
Land, but bears 4 somewhat close resem-
blance dramatically to northern New Eng
land, Is due to this stream of warm water.
Upon reaching the American continent it
is turned southwark, and exerts its equal
lzing influence upon the atmosphere far
down toward the southern boundary of the
United States
The influence of this vast body CT warm
water is one of the causes of the apparent
reversal of nature on this coast, where it
may be said that climates are not deter
mined by degrees Of latitude. but by de-
grees of longitude. As climate is dependent
principally upon the winds, and as the
winds upon this coast are, for half of the
year, westerly, little variation from the
northern to the southern boundary of the
State in the temperature If the prevailing
currents of air will result in a similarity of
climate, except when modified by the
physical conditions of the land. In con-
sequence, We find on this coast that local.
ties similar as regards neighborIng noun
tain ranges have a similar climate, though
one may be FIVE or six hundred miles north
or south of the other. 1t will also be
easily understood that the coast counties,
which receive the unobstructed sea breeze,
have one climate; that the small coast
valleys, separated from the sea by noun
tain ranges, have another, warmer because
more sheltered, and thus more exposed to
the influence of the sun. and that the
great interior valleys have still another
and warmer climate, because they are
hemmed in on all sides by high mountain
ranges.
THE TWO SEASONS.
During what is known as the dry season
the prevailing winds are from the west,
such as are now bringing feeling of vigor
to the strangers who have been suffering
from the heat of the East The tempera-
ture of the breeze is determined by that of
the water over which it has swept, and
which varies as little as that of the Gulf
stream of the Atlantic coast. In conse-
quence the coast counties, where not pro-
tected oceanward by mountain range
have climate of which that of San Fran
cisco is type. In the Russian river,
l1duNd NlslId anu valleys,
lying over the first ridge, the ocean breeze
is robbed of some of its harshness and the
climate is softer and milder. The climate
of the Napa and Livermore valleys, pro-
tected by two ranges instead of one, is still
milder, and that of the great interior
plain Of the Sacramento and San Joaquin
is still warmer and drier. Whenever. as
happens during few days each year, as
was the case in the latter part of last week.
the ocean breeze ceases to blow, the inte-
rior plain becomes very warm. But such
heated terms last for short time only,
and the returning sea breeze, which is felt
each afternoon clear to the head of the
Sacramento valley, mitigates the heat of
the day and makes the nights delightful
During the winter months the prevailing
winds are from the south, coming up from
the tropics laden with moisture, and
bringing warmth to compensate for the
loss of so many of the suns rays
by its journey south of the Equator.
Owing to the rain and genial warmth
the winter is the season of plant growth.
Then the fields are green, the flowers
bloom, the farmer sows his grain and the