Does Redding have a unique climate

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

Redding is somewhat rainy in winter, but it is actually warmer on average than Vegas in January. Not bad for a place so far north.

So why do you think it is that people in Washington and Oregon make a beeline for the desert cities of the Southwest in winter -- Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas -- if they could have better weather by going only a third as far?

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

So why do you think it is that people in Washington and Oregon make a beeline for the desert cities of the Southwest in winter -- Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas -- if they could have better weather by going only a third as far?

I didn't think "snowbirds" went to Vegas since Palm Springs and Phoenix are so much warmer during winter.

Winter
Las Vegas: 57-63F
Phoenix: 67-71F
Palm Springs: 70-75F

Monthly Averages for Las Vegas, NV - weather.com
Monthly Averages for Phoenix, AZ - weather.com
Monthly Averages for Palm Springs, CA - weather.com

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by californio sur

I didn't think "snowbirds" went to Vegas since Palm Springs and Phoenix are so much warmer during winter.

Winter
Las Vegas: 57-63F
Phoenix: 67-71F
Palm Springs: 70-75F

Monthly Averages for Las Vegas, NV - weather.com
Monthly Averages for Phoenix, AZ - weather.com
Monthly Averages for Palm Springs, CA - weather.com

But why bother going that far south when the winter weather in Redding is just as good?

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

But why bother going that far south when the winter weather in Redding is just as good?

I guess it depends on the individual since it gets warmer the further south a person travels but the Pacific Northwest doesn't have a very cold winter anyway. Seattle and Portland are much warmer than cities like Chicago, New York, Washington DC during winter. San Francisco is very mild during winter with temps in the low 60's and down in Los Angeles it is around 70F so the entire Pacific coastline is fairly nice in winter. It is just so rainy up north that people get restless and want more sunshine, right?

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by californio sur

It is just so rainy up north that people get restless and want more sunshine, right?

They want the desert in the winter. It's all about atmospheric humidity. That's a much more defining parameter of human comfort than temperature or sky cover. When the rh is above 50%, the range of comfortable temperatures is very slim.
Sunshine is a part of it, too. Any place above 35 degrees north -- no matter the degree of sky cover -- is in the Vitamin D deficiency/SAD belt due to the winter sun's shallow angle of insolation. It may be sunny, but it doesn't really feel sunny when the sun's rays are that far from vertical.

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

They want the desert in the winter. It's all about atmospheric humidity. That's a much more defining parameter of human comfort than temperature or sky cover. When the rh is above 50%, the range of comfortable temperatures is very slim.
Sunshine is a part of it, too. Any place above 35 degrees north -- no matter the degree of sky cover -- is in the Vitamin D deficiency/SAD belt due to the winter sun's shallow angle of insolation. It may be sunny, but it doesn't really feel sunny when the sun's rays are that far from vertical.

I see. I didn't think it was that humid in the Northwest but even if it is cool I guess the humidity can make it uncomfortable. Often it is the driest during winter in southern California, even along the coast since off shore winds can drop the humidity down to dangerous levels and people use humidifiers inside. For example, even though today will be over 100F the humidity is so low that it is still fairly comfortable outside right now though only in the shade.

[joshprice32000]

I love Redding but it does get hotter than hell there. When I was there in 2008 it was late May and it was 104 degrees and humid! I was driving through on my way home to Boise where it was about 75-80 and dry. Man it was unbearable for May. Now I live in Austin, TX and all year except for Dec. through Feb. is too hot for me!

[notmeofficer]

Redding is one of the few places in the world where you can have a 100 degree differential between summer and winter.

We also get all the pollution blown up from the valley adding to our own.. sometimes unpleasantly so...

Storms also hit the mountains and seem to swirl around Redding.. sometimes we even get beautiful lightning.. which unfortunately creates many of our wildfires

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Redding is arguably on the fringe of the proper midlatitude steppe climate, although the annual rainfall is higher than such a climate. Maybe most similar to Romania.

[KC6ZLV]

Redding has a Mediterranean climate (Csa).