Do we underestimate and downplay how Great Sacramento weather really is? (Los Angeles: architect, trip)

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by tstieber

What about actual temps, Chim? Heat index is a measure of perception, but temperatures are a measure of actual heat. Only showing heat index is the classic "Yeah, but it's a dry heat" consolation. Please add temps as well. Thank you!

I'm pretty sure heat index is more than a perception. It's an actual scientific method and calculation with tables and graphs.

[Chimérique]

Aug 1 to Aug 31, 2020


PHOENIX
High Temp for the Day
110F to 115F = 19 days
105F to 109F = 7 days
100F tp 104F = 4 days
96F to 99F = 1 days
90F to 95F = all days hotter (Heat Index)
80's = Zero days, all days hotter

Low Temp for the Day
90's = 12 days
High 80's = 12 days
Low 80's = 2 days
70's = 4 days
High 60's = 1 day
Low 60's = Zero days, all mornings and nights hotter
50's = Zero days, all mornings and nights hotter

*********************

AUSTIN, Texas
High Temp for the Day
115F to 120F = 1 day (heat index)
110F to 115F = 19 days (heat index)
105F to 109F = 1 days (heat index)
100F tp 104F = 10 days (heat index)
96F to 99F = all days hotter
90F to 95F = all days hotter
80's = Zero days, all days hotter

Low Temp for the Day
90's = Zero days
High 80's = 10 days (Heat Index)
Low 80's = 21 days (Heat Index)
70's = Zero days, all mornings and nights hotter
60's = Zero days, all mornings and nights hotter
50's = Zero days, all mornings and nights hotter

*********************

SACRAMENTO
High Temp for the Day
110F to 115F = Zero days
105F to 109F = 2 days (Heat Index); (3 days actual)
100F tp 104F = 2 days (Heat Index)
96F to 99F = 13 days (Heat Index)
90F to 95F =11 days
80's = 3 days

Low Temp for the Day
90's = all days Cooler
80 = all days Cooler
Low 70's = 5 days
60's = 19 days
50's = 7 days

[Chimérique]

So this last heat wave gave us a taste of what much of the rest of the USA's summers are like, all summer long. And let us not forget that the first half of August was fantastic!

We experienced 5 nights and mornings of what it is like when the temps do NOT Cool into the 60's and 50's. Now, do you see how important it is that our temps Cool as much and as dramtically as they normally do? They stayed in the high 60's to low 70's for those days, can you imagine when they stay in the 80's or 90's all night long like in Phoenix or Austin.

We experienced a few nights when the dew point was NOT in the comfortable range. We experienced moderate humidity and we did not like it. Can you imagine when the humidity is in the high range.

We had a stretch of high temp days that were 100+ for 5 to 6 days. Can you imagine if the entire month or the entire summer was like that or worse...such as Phoenix, Austin, and many other major metros across the USA.

The smoke was bad but it was bad across Northern and Central California, and some parts of SoCal. There were days when the smoke was much worse in Santa Cruz(on the coast) and Lake Tahoe(in the high Sierra). We managed to "escape" a few days on the coast up north where the smoke was not bad.

Historically, wildfires that are as big as they have been and last as long as we have experienced in the last few years is not normal and it is not normal for them to affect Sacramento with bad smoke as long as they did. But, it is very concerning, will this be the new normal? It has been too many years in a row for my taste; but I can't find a a place like Sacramento that has better overall weather, and that is affordable.

If we didn't have the wildlifes and/or if the smoke did not reach Sacramento it would have been a relatively typical August with the usual 5-7 day heat wave. Remember, 5-7 day heat waves are a regular thing across much of the USA; not just in Sacramento.

[Chimérique]

Actual Temps (not heat index temps)

During August, 2020 - Sacramento
Our Coolest high temp was 81F; that cancels out our hottest temp of 108F.

Our Coolest low temp was 57F; that cancels out our warmest low temp of 75F.

[TacoSoup]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

I'm pretty sure heat index is more than a perception. It's an actual scientific method and calculation with tables and graphs.

Official temperatures, and the heat index it’s based off, are always taken in the shade. What you read is not what you’re feeling going about your day, especially when there’s little to no clouds in the sky. Have you ever noticed when watching a sporting event the temperature is always significantly higher on the field, a grass field at that, then what the official temperature is? Personally the official temperature, and/or heat index, doesn’t mean squat to me unless I’m in the shade, or at the beach with some cloud cover.

[tstieber]

I do agree with Chim that Sacramento has an overall great climate compared to many parts of the country, coupled with an affordable cost of living. I do think he tends to stretch the argument a bit to make a case for how "comfortable" the summers are, but I don't think there's any need to sugarcoat it or compare it to extremely hot places like Phoenix or Austin. Sacramento is plenty hot in its own right, it can suck sometimes, but the nights tend to be dry and mild instead of sticky and stifling, and when those steamy Midwest and East Coast cities turn to crap in the fall, Sacramento continues to have beautiful sunshine and warm afternoons for months. On balance, it is relatively nicer in Sacramento than in many parts of the country, especially when you consider humidity and sunshine levels.

[shelato]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Historically, wildfires that are as big as they have been and last as long as we have experienced in the last few years is not normal and it is not normal for them to affect Sacramento with bad smoke as long as they did. But, it is very concerning, will this be the new normal? It has been too many years in a row for my taste; but I can't find a a place like Sacramento that has better overall weather, and that is affordable.

Historically the lack of Tule fog that we have had in the past decade or so is also not normal, but I think the lack of Tule Fog and the summer fires are both likely spring from the same source, global climate change. Other countries that have climates similar to California, like Australia also have seen an uptick in both the frequency and duration of wildfires.

As the winters have been more mild, we have seen increase in bark beetles and they are in turn killing the pines in the Sierras. Along the coast, it appears climate change seems to make California Oak woodlands more susceptible to Sudden Oak Death.

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/w...214901930.html

https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/cirmount/m...PACLIM2007.pdf

If climate change is causing the spread of diseases that kill off trees in the forests and that appears to be the case, I think that is likely providing the fuel for these intensifying fires and while these fires weren't a feature of Sacramento's historic climate, I suspect they may be a feature of our local climate going forward.

We have 2 of the top 10 fires in California's history burning right now. If you look at the top 10 wild fires in California's history how many happened in the last decade? I don't think the reason any of this happened is random chance.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by tstieber

I do agree with Chim that Sacramento has an overall great climate compared to many parts of the country, coupled with an affordable cost of living. I do think he tends to stretch the argument a bit to make a case for how "comfortable" the summers are, but I don't think there's any need to sugarcoat it or compare it to extremely hot places like Phoenix or Austin. Sacramento is plenty hot in its own right, it can suck sometimes, but the nights tend to be dry and mild instead of sticky and stifling, and when those steamy Midwest and East Coast cities turn to crap in the fall, Sacramento continues to have beautiful sunshine and warm afternoons for months. On balance, it is relatively nicer in Sacramento than in many parts of the country, especially when you consider humidity and sunshine levels.

TS,
I first started comparing Sacramento's weather with Phoenix and Austin because other people were comparing Sacramento to Phoenix and Austin.

More importantly, Sacramento along with Austin and Phoenix are in that group of cities that folks from SoCal and the Bay Area are moving to in "droves". Well, that may not last long for Sacramento as people flee the state.

Not only are Sacramento nights dry they are down right COOL, how anyone can consistently (not you) ignore the actual numbers is beyond me.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by shelato

Historically the lack of Tule fog that we have had in the past decade or so is also not normal, but I think the lack of Tule Fog and the summer fires are both likely spring from the same source, global climate change. Other countries that have climates similar to California, like Australia also have seen an uptick in both the frequency and duration of wildfires.

As the winters have been more mild, we have seen increase in bark beetles and they are in turn killing the pines in the Sierras. Along the coast, it appears climate change seems to make California Oak woodlands more susceptible to Sudden Oak Death.

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/w...214901930.html

https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/cirmount/m...PACLIM2007.pdf

If climate change is causing the spread of diseases that kill off trees in the forests and that appears to be the case, I think that is likely providing the fuel for these intensifying fires and while these fires weren't a feature of Sacramento's historic climate, I suspect they may be a feature of our local climate going forward.

We have 2 of the top 10 fires in California's history burning right now. If you look at the top 10 wild fires in California's history how many happened in the last decade? I don't think the reason any of this happened is random chance.

The intensity, duration, and frequency of Wildfires is the number reason why I would leave California.

Remember when a wildfire happened only in SoCal and happened only once every 5 years. This is no longer the case anymore. Wildfires affecting air quality so intensely and for so long is a relatively new phonomenon. Now it is the new normal.

In the last several years, there really is no place safe from Wildfire in California.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

So this last heat wave gave us a taste of what much of the rest of the USA's summers are like, all summer long. And let us not forget that the first half of August was fantastic!

We experienced 5 nights and mornings of what it is like when the temps do NOT Cool into the 60's and 50's. Now, do you see how important it is that our temps Cool as much and as dramtically as they normally do? They stayed in the high 60's to low 70's for those days, can you imagine when they stay in the 80's or 90's all night long like in Phoenix or Austin.

We experienced a few nights when the dew point was NOT in the comfortable range. We experienced moderate humidity and we did not like it. Can you imagine when the humidity is in the high range.

We had a stretch of high temp days that were 100+ for 5 to 6 days. Can you imagine if the entire month or the entire summer was like that or worse...such as Phoenix, Austin, and many other major metros across the USA.

The smoke was bad but it was bad across Northern and Central California, and some parts of SoCal. There were days when the smoke was much worse in Santa Cruz(on the coast) and Lake Tahoe(in the high Sierra). We managed to "escape" a few days on the coast up north where the smoke was not bad.

Historically, wildfires that are as big as they have been and last as long as we have experienced in the last few years is not normal and it is not normal for them to affect Sacramento with bad smoke as long as they did. But, it is very concerning, will this be the new normal? It has been too many years in a row for my taste; but I can't find a a place like Sacramento that has better overall weather, and that is affordable.

If we didn't have the wildlifes and/or if the smoke did not reach Sacramento it would have been a relatively typical August with the usual 5-7 day heat wave. Remember, 5-7 day heat waves are a regular thing across much of the USA; not just in Sacramento.

The nighttime lows are very important. There is no doubt.