Climate
Weather patterns in the Sacramento Valley are very similar to those in the San Joaquin Valley to the south, although the humidity and precipitation tends to be a bit higher. Summers are the dry season, with average daytime temperatures in the upper 80s to mid 90s but triple digits are a common occurrence, especially in the Chico, Redding and Red Bluff area. The "delta breeze", which comes in from the Bay area, brings cooler temperatures and higher humidity. At times the delta breeze is gusty with wind speed to up to 30 mph in valley and up to 45 mph in the delta region which is always breezy. This breeze can also bring morning low clouds at times into the region but the clouds generally burn off quickly and temperatures stay cool. Summer-like conditions continue into early to mid September but weather starts to change to cooler, wetter, foggier weather during October which give trees beautiful autumn foliage. Winters, also known as the rainy season, are generally mild to cool, foggy and wet with highs averaging in the mid-40s F to low-50s F, colder in the northern part of the valley and colder still in the foothills and frost can occur almost anywhere. The rainy season runs from October to April but it not unusual for rain to occur in September or May. During the rainy season, the Sacramento Valley is prone to strong thunderstorms and tornados, mostly of F0 or F1 intensity, especially in Colusa County and areas around Corning and Orland. Flooding does occur at times during wetter periods, usually November to March. Snow in the valley is rare, although Redding and Red Bluff, being at the north end of the valley, often experience a light dusting or two per year. Chico may get a rain-snow mix every few years, but, on the average, only snows about every 5 years. Farther south in Sacramento, snow falls about once every 10 years or so. During the autumn and winter months the entire Central Valley is susceptible to dense tule fog that makes driving hazardous, especially at night and especially south of Corning. The fog can last for weeks depending on how weak the wind is.
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