Are Sacramento summers outdoor friendly? (San Jose, Sunnyvale: earthquakes, income, living)

[Curmudgeon]

For the most part with very warm days and considerably cooler evenings when the delta breezes are blowing. Except for the couple of weeks that might hit 100+ I always found it bearable. Walk on the shady side of the street under the trees and you'll be fine.

I spent the better part of 20 years in Sacrademento and lived to tell about it; and I'm old!

[wburg]

Weather here now is warm with scattered amazing. Half the city must have been walking around this morning, bike riding, or stopping at one of several street fairs and swap meets scattered around the city, or having brunch someplace. The other half appeared to be driving through looking for parking...

[bluevelo]

Originally Posted by wburg

Weather here now is warm with scattered amazing. Half the city must have been walking around this morning, bike riding, or stopping at one of several street fairs and swap meets scattered around the city, or having brunch someplace. The other half appeared to be driving through looking for parking...

Our "instant summer" is one of the coolest things about this place. You realize we have very little winter down in town to speak of...

[noihoforus]

I think some of you people are suffering from heat stroke from last summer/fall....what have you all fallen down and hit your heads??? It is HOT HOT an more HOT....jacked up congested freeways, some areas of high crime, gangs and drugs, and some areas are extremely foggy at times in the winter and spring. Oh....and did I forget to mention they call it the golden state for a reason....BROWN baron hills...the only trees in Sacto are the ones planted by the city except for the oak trees and a few scattered cottonwoods. If you are heading for the hills you better plan on calling in sick on Friday so you can get a jump start on the traffic jam going up the hill ...Oh and the camping and kayaking at the lake yes there are areas...if you drive far enough...and be prepared to deal with the CA entitlement attitudes. The coast is beautiful if you can get to it and find a place to park...every one has the same getaway plan as you. Coming from the east coast myself..I would truly think twice about Sacramento...I would move to the foothills if I were you. You can always commute into Sacto and you would be close to Truckee and Tahoe which are absolutely beautiful...And the temperature is much easier to adjust to. If you are set on Sacto...rent first and do due diligence when you pick a neighborhood....GOOD LUCK

[dragond]

I have lived here for 20 years and like anywhere else, people get acclimated to dealing with the summers, otherwise they move. The weather can be unpredictable but in the long term is pretty predictable. Summers are bound to get hot with 90s-100s normal. A long stretch of 100 degree days more than 4+ days is a heatwave. The past few summers have been relatively mild (IMHO) with upper 80s to 90s and a smattering of 100s here and there. Last year I remember July 4th was very hot and didn't cool down at night either so the low was upper 60s to lower 70s in the morning. Sacramento is fortunate to have natural air conditioning (the Delta Breeze) at nights during summer when the hot air rises and cool air from the Pacific rushes in to balance out the atmosphere so you get very nice nights after long stretches of heat. It helps clear out the stagnant smog too. As for outdoor activities, I do love going down to the rivers when it is hot as it is a nice respite from the heat. Dining outside in midtown is also good in the evenings. Taking walks in the morning or evenings with bug spray. Basically if you are going to be active during the peak heating periods, better take precautions such as drinking plenty of water, staying in shade, or just sticking to water based activities with plenty of sunscreen. I love to kayak on Lake Natoma and lounge by the rivers during the summer. If I am not near the water when it is hot outside, I just stay inside or keep activities to mornings and evenings.

[ElectroPlumber]

Originally Posted by kenmtb

Thanks for the great information. I guess the heat may be bearable. From what I have seen, Sac. looks like a hidden gem. I would love to escape the gloomy grey damp east coast and settle in an area that is outdoorsy and livable. There are a tiny trickle of computer jobs in my area and that area seems more fertile. I would consider any area in Ca. that is livable. Entertainment,Nightlife, schools are no concern!

If you can afford it, check out Silicon Valley, ie Mountain View, etc. If weather is important to you, this area has some really great weather to escape the extremes. Maybe you could find a job there with your computer background.

Also, the same can be said about Santa Barbara's weather.

Now, being able to afford to live in those places is another matter. I also lived on the east coast and it is a lot hotter here in the summer, although lower humidity.

[NinaN]

Summer is coming and I love it! I much prefer hot sunshine to cold rain. Just me.

[wburg]

Yep--I like a nice intense Sacramento summer, and those fine, cool summer nights.

[NorCal Dude]

I hope we get off easy like the last three summers we have had.

[hydro]

I too love the hot summers and warm nights. Perfect for evening swimming. Escape to Tahoe on too hot weekends.