Do we underestimate and downplay how Great Sacramento weather really is? (San Francisco: home, neighborhood)

[Chimérique]

If you put Sacramento and it’s weather in any southern, midwestern, or eastern locale across the USA people would rave about our weather.

Sacramento Summer:
Not nearly as hot as we or others exaggerate. During the last heat wave Sacramento was always cooler than anywhere else in the heat dome except for Coastal Cali and the mountains.

The desert southwest (Phoenix, Vegas,) is on average 20-30 degrees warmer during evening and morning hours and averages 10-20 degrees hotter during the day. The south, texas, florida and southwest bake in high humidity all summer long, and all night long.

Midwest and eastern seaboard cities are really humid during the summer - the daytime highs feel a lot warmer over there than our average summer high temps.

A 90 or 100 degree day in Sac feels more like a 80 or 90 degree in the rest of the humid east and south. So by high temps alone Sacramento appears a lot warmer than it is compared to other places.

Sacramento for the most part has cool summer nights and mornings.

A typical Sacramento Summer day is 90 degrees, dry 20% humidity (feels more like 87), with a very cool morning low of 55 degrees. The actual high temp doesn't represent how comfortable the rest of the evening and night temp will be as we cool quickly in the evening COMPARED to most other places across the USA.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by chimérique

if you put sacramento and it’s weather in any southern, midwestern, or eastern locale across the usa people would rave about our weather.

Sacramento summer:
Not nearly as hot as we or others exaggerate. During the last heat wave sacramento was always cooler than anywhere else in the heat dome except for coastal cali and the mountains.

The desert southwest (phoenix, vegas,) is on average 20-30 degrees warmer during evening and morning hours and averages 10-20 degrees hotter during the day. The south, texas, florida bake in high humidity all summer long, and all night long.

Midwest and eastern seaboard cities are really humid during the summer - the daytime highs feel a lot warmer over there than our average summer high temps.

A 90 or 100 degree day in sac feels more like a 80 or 90 degree in the rest of the humid east and south. So by high temps alone sacramento appears a lot warmer than it is compared to other places.

Sacramento for the most part has cool summer nights and mornings.

A typical sacramento summer day is 90 degrees, dry 20% humidity (feels more like 87), with a very cool morning low of 55 degrees. The actual high temp doesn't represent how comfortable the rest of the evening and night temp will be as we cool quickly in the evening compared to most other places across the usa.

Clarification:

A 80 or 90 degree day in the humid east, south and midwest would feel like our 90 or 100 degree day. When looking at high temperatures alone, Sacramento appears to be hotter, but actually is cooler because of the lack of high humidity in Sacramento. For example, Sacramento heat indices are often lower than the actual high temperature, a high of 90 degrees in Sacramento usually has a heat index of 87.

A city with higher humidity like Austin, TX will appear not as hot when looking at it's high temperature alone. Although it actually feels much hotter as the heat index would suggest. Often, 90 degrees in Austin, feels more like 95.

Historical weather data rarely captures this statistic, so Sacramento looks hotter than it actually feels COMPARED to other cities across the USA which usually have higher heat indices than recorded high temperatures.

[Think About It!]

I don't think I do. I really enjoy this weather. If I could be picky I would like to get a few days a year of some snow accumulation during winter but it wouldn't have to stick. It would just be fun to see it outside a couple times. I don't want to plow snow however.

[NewToCA]

Well we average 20 plus days of 100 or more, so it does get a bit hot in the summer. Being a dry heat is a bit of a help, but it still is pretty hot in the afternoons from June through September.

But the mornings are often pleasant and cool, so I'm OK until about noon.

[Chimérique]

In the middle of July, the high temperature in Sacramento was 13 degrees cooler than Portland’s high!

Today’s highs:

Portland: 90, Seattle: 84, Sacramento: 77

Phoenix: 101, Bakersfield: 96, Salt Lake: 96, Fresno: 94,

[la_cavalière]

I agree that we downplay the awesome Sac weather. Before moving here a year ago, I was dreading the hot summers. While it can be uncomfortably hot for a few hours in the afternoon, the low humidity makes it far more bearable than the steamy Midwestern summers. The mornings and evenings are extremely pleasant - often 30 degrees cooler than the day's high temp, thanks to the Delta Breeze.

We love eating lunch and dinner outside on the patio, and the weather here is perfect for that. My neighborhood is very shady, so even though most of our windows face south and west, we rarely use the AC, even when temps reach the mid-90s.

The winters can be a little gray - especially when you have gotten used to the endless summer sun - but I really don't miss the snow, sleet and ice. And if you really need your fix of snow, the Sierras are a short drive away.

We had an option of moving to the San Francisco area, and one of the reasons we decided against it was because of the chilly, foggy summers (and, of course, the exorbitant cost of living.) Now, we can afford to own our own home here and visit the City when the weather is nice.

One more perk: with the low humidity, bad hair days are few and far between.. lol.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Well we average 20 plus days of 100 or more, so it does get a bit hot in the summer. Being a dry heat is a bit of a help, but it still is pretty hot in the afternoons from June through September.

But the mornings are often pleasant and cool, so I'm OK until about noon.

I question your 20 plus days, but assuming it is correct, many cities across the USA have heat indices of 20 plus days over 100 or more.

And, Those same cities don't enjoy our cooler evenings, nights, and mornings.

If SAC did not cool down as much as it does every night I think you would notice a big difference, not just in comfort but in your A/C bill.


Chicago at 11:15 at night is 90 degrees!
NYC, past midnight is still 86 degrees.

Fresno 83 degrees
Phoenix 89 degrees

Sacramento cool and clear 66 degrees. Expected to drop to 52 degrees tonight.

[la_cavalière]

When I lived in St. Louis, Missouri, we turned the AC on in June (often earlier) and ran it nonstop 24 hours a day through September. The sticky nights were rarely comfortable enough to ever justify turning the AC off. Here, I will turn the AC on for a few hours in the afternoon or for a few days during a super hot spell, but most of the time we live with the windows open.

[Chimérique]

Years ago I lived on the 2nd floor of a Sacramento midtown apt with no A/C!

A family friend from Chicago came to visit in Aug, for several days the temps were over 100. I was so embarrassed that my apt. was so hot. He seriously thought it was no big deal and wondered why everyone complained so much about our "heat". He said it was nothing compared to Chicago's humid summers.

A year later, I stayed with him in Chicago for a couple weeks and it was wicked humid hot the whole time I was there - luckily the A/C was on 24/7 -- except for one day when the heavens erupted with thunder, lighting, and 2 inches of rain; next day hot as hell.

[caligirlz]

Since I have never lived in any of the other regions mentioned, nor would I live there, even though I have visited, I personally don't find the other temp comparisons helpful. Of course, the weather in Cali is way better than most other places in the good ole USA. Weather is certainly one of the reasons why I love California.

I think the OP is confusing personal tolerance with her opinion, insinuating that those who don't agree with her are "exaggerating." I have no problem with having/ sharing an opinion, I just don't like it when it comes in the context of a negative judgment.

Overall, I find Sacramento's weather to be milder than the Central San Joaquin Valley, specifically Kern to Stanislaus Counties. I spent many years in those parts and I can no longer tolerate triple digits. I remember the day when it changed as I used to spend hours in the hottest hours of the day basking in the sun. The high temps literally make me sick now. It doesn't matter if I am in Hanford or Foslom, I don't tolerate it. Thankfully, I am quite resourceful in handling it.

I think the other thing that should be considered, is that it is hotter in the suburbs. It is hotter in Lincoln, Roseville & Folsom than in midtown. I check my cell phone, the outside thermometer on my car and the local weather stations to determine the true temperature in the suburbs. If you really want to make comparisons, it would be helpful to include these cities in the daily comparisons.

Edit: I will add that I spent my first 5 years in East Sac, on the 7th floor of the 4100 Folsom complex. My roomie didn't like using the AC even though she had it. I wilted. I was sooo sick. The circulation in her unit was awful, so fans & open windows did not cool down the place. I finally offered to pay the entire AC bill throughout the summer, she agreed, and it was so much better. Again, different levels of tolerance.