Summer heat; how bad is it? (Sacramento, August: house, crawl space, school)

[NCtoAZ]

When do the temperatures get super hot for most people, June and July? The summer averages appear to be in the upper 90s, but there's a lot of people commenting that temps often break 100. How high do the temps get? Does it stay at or over 100 for long periods, or it just a few days sprinkled around the summer?

It appears you all have a dry heat too; no rain in the summer, which helps keep the humidity down. Sacramento has no monsoon (rainy) season like we have in AZ, which can ruin our dry heat for a day or so.

What's the hottest point of the day? Back east, it was around 1 PM. In the Phoenix, AZ, area, it keeps building up until about 5 PM.

In Phoenix, we've already started to hit the high 90s, which is hot, but comfortable (to me anyways). Our averages in the summer are in the mid 100s, but when it hits 112-115 in June, it seems to just stay there until mid September. The temps can even spike to 118, maybe 120 for a bit during the day.

Do people still go outside during the summer? In the Phoenix area, we largely avoid going outside during the day from about mid May until September. After about 5 PM, everyone is outside or in the pool.

I haven't read any stories in any Sacto threads about children being burned on the metal piece of the carseat or people dying while hiking or doing outdoor activities like happens in Phoenix every summer.

Sacto summers look like something to get through, sort of like the summers back east, versus a lifestyle or culture change like in Phoenix.

[wburg]

We get one or two weeks of temps over 100 per year, just a few days sprinkled around. It's a dry heat, and it cools off rapidly in the evening. Sacramento becomes a night-time city in summer, restaurants with patios stay open late and people are out later doing stuff. People still go outside to recreate during the day, to the river or the lake, although there is a lot less lake this year so the crowds there may be subdued. And we're in a drought so it may continue to be hotter than usual.

The much-discussed delta breeze starts up in the evening and has more effect closer to the Sacramento River than farther away in the foothills. Places with a lot of tree cover tend to stay cooler.

Once every few years there is a summer storm and it gets humid for a few hours and then goes away.

[eureka1]

I've been away a few years and I still miss those summer evenings. Just one of the great things about Sacramento.

[cb73]

Weather Underground is a very cool site--you can look up daily or monthly temperatures back to the 1950's. Maybe that will help you get a better sense of the heat here if you look at several years.

Weather History for Sacramento, CA | Weather Underground=

[enigma99a]

Originally Posted by cb73

Weather Underground is a very cool site--you can look up daily or monthly temperatures back to the 1950's. Maybe that will help you get a better sense of the heat here if you look at several years.

Weather History for Sacramento, CA | Weather Underground=

This is a good idea. In this July on the 16th and 17th the high was 74 on both days after lows in the 50s. Really shows the influence the Ocean has on Sacramento at times. But when the wind dies down or comes from a different direction, it can get pretty hot, 100F or more. I'd say the weather is generally good until you compare it to somewhere in the Bay

105-110 is pretty rare although it can happen. When that happens everyone is complaining and suffering although it is usually a dry heat. If it lands on the weekend a lot of us drive/take the train to SF.

[MyNewsLogin]

Every day from May 24 through October 8 has a record high of 100 degrees or more and a record low in the upper 40s. We have hit the century mark as early as May 1. The longest stretch of days with temperatures over 100 is nine.

A more typical pattern is mid to high 90s with a drop into the mid to low 60s overnight. This pattern lasts through August and into September. (I spent many a day sweltering through school in classrooms with no air conditioning in a wool uniform skirt.) The numerous trees in the city and the delta breeze keep the heat bearable and, as you said, it is almost always a dry heat. Rain is a very rare occurance but it does happen.

If you are living in the area it is well worth investing in a whole house fan. When the delta breeze kicks in, the temperature drops pretty rapidly and you can cool the entire house, crawl space included, by turning on the fan for a couple of hours.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by NCtoAZ

When do the temperatures get super hot for most people, June and July? The summer averages appear to be in the upper 90s, but there's a lot of people commenting that temps often break 100. How high do the temps get? Does it stay at or over 100 for long periods, or it just a few days sprinkled around the summer?

.

Sacramento summer averages high temps are 88-92F. Sacramento averages 10-12 days over 100F.

Keep in mind the "feels like" heat index is almost always 3-5 degrees lower than actual temp in Sacramento.

So that puts the summer average at 84-88F for heat index "feels like" temps.

Heat index temps average 5 days over 100F in Sacramento per year.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by NCtoAZ

When do the temperatures get super hot for most people, June and July? The summer averages appear to be in the upper 90s, but there's a lot of people commenting that temps often break 100. How high do the temps get? Does it stay at or over 100 for long periods, or it just a few days sprinkled around the summer?

It appears you all have a dry heat too; no rain in the summer, which helps keep the humidity down. Sacramento has no monsoon (rainy) season like we have in AZ, which can ruin our dry heat for a day or so.

What's the hottest point of the day? Back east, it was around 1 PM. In the Phoenix, AZ, area, it keeps building up until about 5 PM.

In Phoenix, we've already started to hit the high 90s, which is hot, but comfortable (to me anyways). Our averages in the summer are in the mid 100s, but when it hits 112-115 in June, it seems to just stay there until mid September. The temps can even spike to 118, maybe 120 for a bit during the day.

Do people still go outside during the summer? In the Phoenix area, we largely avoid going outside during the day from about mid May until September. After about 5 PM, everyone is outside or in the pool.

I haven't read any stories in any Sacto threads about children being burned on the metal piece of the carseat or people dying while hiking or doing outdoor activities like happens in Phoenix every summer.

Sacto summers look like something to get through, sort of like the summers back east, versus a lifestyle or culture change like in Phoenix.

That is about right. It is a dry heat so it is better.

It is not Phoenix hot or Vegas hot, however. It often does get into the triple digits and can stay there for a few days, but not longer. At some point winds from the Coast and "Delta Breezes" will make their way inland.

Hottest time of day is about 5 PM maybe 6, then cooling off at night.

[enigma99a]

Today it got to 83 at my place but the bay breeze started just before 4PM. Now its a little chilly at 5:45pm gusting to 18mph..

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by enigma99a

Today it got to 83 at my place but the bay breeze started just before 4PM. Now its a little chilly at 5:45pm gusting to 18mph..

Yep it feels like a typical Delta Breeze(you are right its really a BAY-OCEAN wind that comes through the Delta).

Weather.com shows 20mph steady wind from the Southwest-right through the Gap in the Coast range Mountains where the Bay-Delta is located.

Our first Delta Breeze started in late March, not sure if that is good or bad. I don't recall the Delta Breeze pattern ever beginning as early as late March because usually we still are in the Pacific Winter rainstorm pattern in March through April.

The Delta Breeze pattern from last month was interrupted by a typical winter-spring rainstorm. The one we had a week or so ago. The kind of rainstorm we should have been getting all winter long but have not received - hence the drought.