Fresno landscape flat??? (Long Beach, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria: 2009, transfer, living in)

[jc76]

In my lifelong search for the "perfect" (yeah right) California city to move to I have been drawn to Fresno for it's affordability. That's it really, the weather is a huge improvement over the midwest and the rents are priced right. My concern is that while I have never actually been north of Santa Barbara I still assumed that most all of Southern California was hilly with palm trees here and there giving it it's unique landscape.
I have researched the land (Fresno) on Google Maps and Google Earth only to find that it looks TOO MUCH like the midwest! It seems to be flat and in many of the pictures there's not even the mountains in the background!
Is Fresno on a flat spot or something? Any insight to this would be very helpful. Thanks.

[Fanciesmom]

Fresno is flat - there are mountains but they are a ways away. Most days I've been there you couldn't see them for the "inversion layer". Fresno is like the rest of the central valley FLAT, dry, hot in the summer, foggy in the winter (and we're talking tule fog that masks roads, sometimes you can't even see the hood of your car.

We had a chance to transfer down that way a while back. Nope - although they are cleaning the town up it's still not a great place. If you like 100+ degree weeks in the summer and day after day after day of soupy ground hugging fog in the fall and winter you'll love it there. I'm sure there are folks who love it there - and that's their choice. Personally I like where we move to much much more. . . and it was away from California!

[cleosmom]

It is flat, but there are foothills and mountains not too far away. In fact, you'll be close enough to Yosemite to go on day trips, also Kings Canyon Park, several neat place nearby.

The heat will be different from what you've experienced in the mid-west, it's a much drier heat. As previously stated the fog there can be grim, it's not bad if you stay home, but dangerous when driving. The benefit the temps don't get cool enough for freezing fog.

[Fontucky]

A. Fresno isn't in Southern Cal.

B. Fresno is an interior valley city, hence the flat landscape and high summer temps.

C. There are lots of palm trees, though.

[FresnoFacts]

Fresno is in California's Central Valley which is larger than valleys elsewhere. The Central Valley is 75 miles wide (east to west) at its widest and 400 miles long from north to south.

It is about 15-20 miles from Fresno to the foothills. The 5000 feet elevation in Kings Canyon National Park is only one hour away (my preference compared to Yosemite).

I moved inland 20+ years ago after living in and seeing the start of the coastal city changes that many complain about today (congestion, housing cost, etc). I looked at jobs elsewhere but I did not want to leave California so I selected Fresno. I wanted to keep easy access to both the mountains and ocean beaches.

Weather? It is over 100 degrees in Fresno an average of 35 days/year per the National Weather Service (Phoenix averages 105 days/year over 100 degrees).

As cleosmom said, humidity is low, average humidity in Fresno in summer is about 20%-25% compared to 55%-60% in the midwest.

Foggy days in Fresno (visibility less than 1/4 mile) also average about 35 days/year per the NWS (Long Beach gets 41 days/year with less than 1/4 mile visiblity, Santa Maria gets 87 days/year).

Palm Trees? They are all over the Fresno area, both in and out of the urban area. Check out this picture of a country road west of Fresno as one example.
http://fresnobeehive.com/photos/assets_c/2009/03/dd-17923.html

Do they line midwest country roads with palm trees?

[rkb0305]

Fresno is flat as a pancake. There are mountains in the distance. On a rare day, usually after rain, you can see them, but Fresno itself is very flat.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

On thing you'd encounter in Fresno that you'll never see in Indiana are the fig orchards.

Also, nearby, up in the lower foothills, citrus groves.

And much, much more.

[jc76]

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

Do they line midwest country roads with palm trees?

Hahaha!!!
No, sorry. Those nice palm trees would die from exposure when our temps dip into the MINUS 20's in January
Would look cool though...if they survived our tundra.

[jc76]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

On thing you'd encounter in Fresno that you'll never see in Indiana are the fig orchards.

Also, nearby, up in the lower foothills, citrus groves.

And much, much more.

I know. I've traveled southern California quite a few times and was just kind of in shock at the difference of landscape, a good kind of shock though. I am used to flat fields, brown dead trees (8 months out of the year) and cornfields. It's very stagnant here and the scenery is just blah.