When vacationers think of the weather in California , an image of sunshine, blue sea and warm temperatures often emerges in their minds. But the state doesn’t have year-round sunshine and warm temperatures. Parts of California experience snowfall, while other regions only expect heavy rains during winter. The climate in the north and south differs significantly from the climatic conditions in Death Valley or the Sierra Nevada . Read here what weather awaits you in the California state.

What’s the weather like in Northern California?

Using a climate table for Sacramento, I’ll show you the weather in northern California. This part of the state is part of the Mediterranean climate zone . While the summers are hot and with little rain, the winters in Sacramento are comparatively rainy and mild. The hottest months of the year are July and August with an average of 34 degrees Celsius. These are also the driest months with less than 1 day of rain per month. It gets coolest in December and January with maximum temperatures of 12 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures of 3 degrees. The sunniest months are June and July with 14 hours of sunshine per day, closely followed by May and August with 13 hours of sunshine per day. Winter brings less sun with it. In December and January, holidaymakers can expect only 5 hours of sunshine per day, in November and February there are 7.

Climate diagram for Sacramento

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	12	16	18	22	27	31	34	34	31	26	17	12
Min. Temperature in ° C	3	5	6	8	10	13	15	14	13	10	6	3
Hours of sunshine per day	5	7	9	11	13	14	14	13	12	10	7	5
Rainy days per month	7	7	7	4	1	1	0	0	1	3	6	7
Precipitation in mm	98	71	65	32	8	3	1	2	9	26	68	65

What is the weather like in southern California?

Representing the weather in southern California, I provide you with a climate diagram for San Diego . During the summer months you will spend your California vacation in pleasant temperatures. The warmest months are July, August and September with maximum values ​​of 25 degrees Celsius. Even at night it is still 19 to 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, the maximum values ​​deviate from the minimum values ​​by up to 10 degrees Celsius. If you’re traveling to San Diego in winter, pack overcoat clothes to avoid freezing in the evening. It gets coldest in January and December with minimum temperatures of 9 degrees Celsius. The most sunshine awaits travelers in July and August. January and December bring the fewest hours of sunshine with 7 hours per day.

According to Justinshoes.net, the water temperatures of the Pacific in San Diego only reach 21 degrees in August – this is the comfortable temperature for bathing in the sea. Otherwise, the values ​​of the Pacific Ocean move between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius. Therefore, jumping into the water is only recommended for insensitive vacationers. It rains little year round in San Diego. The maximum value is 6 rainy days in February and March. Between June and September it does not rain on an average of any day of the month in the Californian metropolis.

Climate diagram for San Diego

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	19	19	19	20	21	22	25	25	25	24	21	19
Min. Temperature in ° C	9	10	12	13	15	17	19	20	19	16	12	9
Hours of sunshine per day	7	8	8	9	8	8	10	10	8	8	8	7
Rainy days per month	5	6	6	2	2	0	0	0	0	2	3	4
Precipitation in mm	48	33	46	21	6	2	1	4	7	9	38	42

How’s the weather in Death Valley?

The highest temperatures in the whole country await you in Death Valley . The hottest measured value was reached in 1913 and was 56.7 degrees Celsius. In summer the thermometer climbs to over 40 degrees Celsius. The hottest month is July with an average of 46 degrees Celsius. In winter the values ​​are between 16 degrees in December and 21 degrees Celsius in February. At night, temperatures drop to 1 to 4 degrees. It can happen that the values ​​in Death Valley are below 0 degrees Celsius during the cold season. June, July and August bring the most hours of sunshine with itself – 13 in number. The sun shines the least in December with 5 hours a day. In Death Valley there is little rainfall all year round. The maximum value is 3 rainy days per month. May and June are the driest.

Climate diagram for Death Valley

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	18	21	25	30	35	41	46	44	40	31	22	16
Min. Temperature in ° C	1	4	7	10	16	21	25	23	19	12	6	1
Hours of sunshine per day	6	6	9	10	11	13	13	13	11	9	7	5
Rainy days per month	3	3	3	2	1	1	3	3	2	2	2	3
Precipitation in mm	18	20	14	6	4	2	9	9	7	4	13	13

How is the weather in the Sierra Nevada?

The climatic conditions in the Sierra Nevada are very different. At 4,421 meters, the Sierra Nevada is not only the highest mountain range in the USA but also the longest. There is an arctic climate at the heights of the mountain range . In winter it is very cold and there is heavy snowfall. The western and eastern parts of the Sierra Nevada are subject to different climatic conditions. The west is influenced by a maritime climate . Both summers and winters are mild in this region. In contrast, the seasons in the east are clearly pronounced. This part of the Sierra Nevada has a desert climate certainly. The summers are hot there and the winters are cool. The amount of precipitation also varies from area to area. In general, one can say that the high altitudes are more affected by precipitation than the valley regions of the Sierra Nevada. But there is less precipitation in the south than in the north. So it happens that mountains in the south are higher than in the north, but it still rains less there.

 

Climate table for Florida

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	21	23	25	27	30	32	33	32	31	30	26	24
Min. Temperature in ° C	10	11	14	16	20	23	23	23	22	18	14	12
Hours of sunshine per day	7	7	9	10	10	9	8	8	7	7	6	6
Water temperature in ° C	21	20	21	23	25	27	28	29	28	26	24	22
Rainy days per month	5	6	5	3	5	10	13	14	10	5	4	5

The best time to travel to Florida

The sun shines all year round in the Sunshine State of Florida . In the summer months it is warmest with an average day temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, but the precipitation is highest in these months and there are strong gusts of wind. That’s why the best time to travel to Florida is from late November to mid-May . Average temperatures around 20 to 25 degrees and very little rainfall allow you to have a great Florida vacation in autumn, winter and spring . Depending on the climate zone, there are a few small differences in the average temperatures measured. Therefore, I will show you in the following using climate tables the best travel time for the north, the center and the south of Florida. Find out when a wonderful beach vacation in Miami Beach or the Florida Keys is best possible and when it makes sense to take a city trip to Orlando.

The best months to travel to Florida at a glance:

• November: 26 ° C, 6 hours of sunshine, 24 ° C water temperature, 4 rainy days
• December: 24 ° C, 6 hours of sunshine, 22 ° C water temperature, 5 rainy days
• January: 21 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 21 ° C water temperature, 5 rainy days
• February: 23 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 20 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days
• March: 25 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 21 ° C water temperature, 5 rainy days
• April: 27 ° C, 10 hours of sunshine, 23 ° C water temperature, 3 rainy days
• May: 30 ° C, 10h sun, 25 ° C water temperature, 5 rainy days

Climate in Northern Florida: Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville

Climate table for Jacksonville

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	18	20	23	27	30	32	33	33	31	27	23	19
Min. Temperature in ° C	6	7	10	14	18	21	23	23	20	15	10	7
Hours of sunshine per day	6	7	8	9	10	8	8	8	6	7	6	6
Water temperature in ° C	17	17	18	20	23	26	29	30	29	27	24	20
Rainy days per month	7	7	7	6	7	11	13	12	14	11	6	7

Best travel time for north Florida

According to healthvv, North Florida borders the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest and the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast. To the northwest are Pensacola and the capital of Florida, Tallahassee , among others . To the northeast is the most populous city, Jacksonville . Although it is warm throughout the year in the north, which is best time during the months of March to May. In spring it rains relatively little in the north and there are no hurricanes. Daytime temperatures around 23 to 30 degrees allow great trips. In the summer months of June, July, August and September, maximum temperatures of up to 33 degrees Celsius are reached in the north. With an average of twelve rainy days, precipitation is greatest in the summer months. In the winter months it is relatively warm in northern Florida. In the coldest month, January, maximum temperatures of 18 degrees are measured. At night it can get a bit chilly with an average of six to seven degrees.

Climate in central Florida: Orlando, Kissimmee

Climate table for Orlando

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	24	23	26	28	31	32	33	33	32	29	26	23
Min. Temperature in ° C	9	10	13	15	19	22	23	23	22	19	14	11
Hours of sunshine per day	6	7	8	10	10	9	9	8	8	7	7	6
Water temperature in ° C	/	/	/	/	/	/	/	/	/	/	/	/
Rainy days per month	6	7	7	4	7	13	12	12	10	6	6	6

Best travel time for central Florida

Centrally located in the Sunshine State is the famous city of Orlando . It is particularly popular with tourists because of the world’s largest amusement park, Disney World, and Universal Studios. The best time to travel to Orlando are March, April, September and October. In spring and autumn you can spend a few relaxing days in central Florida. With an average of seven hours of sunshine per day and a temperature of 26 to 32 degrees Celsius, wonderful excursions with the whole family or city trips to neighboring cities are possible. At the best time to travel to central Florida, there is also relatively little rain. There is significantly more precipitation in the summer months, when temperatures rise at the same time.

Climate in South Florida: Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Keys

Climate table for Miami

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	24	25	26	28	30	31	32	33	32	30	27	25
Min. Temperature in ° C	15	15	18	19	22	23	25	25	24	22	19	16
Hours of sunshine per day	7	8	9	10	10	10	10	9	9	9	8	7
Water temperature in ° C	22	22	23	25	27	29	30	31	30	28	26	24
Rainy days per month	5	6	6	6	9	10	13	16	14	11	7	5

Best travel time for Miami and South Florida

Miami is located in southwest Florida and is its most famous city. Located on Biscayne Bay , part of the Atlantic Ocean, Miami has fantastic beaches for an unforgettable beach holiday . Miami Beach is particularly popular for beach vacationers . The climate in Miami is tropical. The summers are hot and humid and the winters are dry and warm. Therefore, the best time to travel to Miami is winter time. In the months of November to April, you can spend a great beach holiday with perfect weather conditions in Miami and the other southern cities of Florida. The rainy season prevails from May to October with an average of 14 rainy days per month. In addition, this time is the Atlantic hurricane season , which leads to squalls in southern Florida. Therefore, summer time is considered the low season in Miami and winter time is considered the high season. This is also reflected in the price for trips to Miami. If you have decided on a Miami vacation, you should definitely make a detour to the neighboring city of Fort Lauderdale . Also known as “the Venice of America”, it particularly shines with the Hollywood district, where you can expect wonderful stretches of beach and a wonderful view.

Climate table for Key West

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C	24	25	26	28	30	31	32	32	31	29	26	25
Min. Temperature in ° C	18	19	20	22	24	25	26	26	25	23	20	19
Hours of sunshine per day	8	9	10	11	11	11	10	10	9	9	8	7
Water temperature in ° C	24	24	24	25	26	27	29	30	29	28	27	25
Rainy days per month	6	6	5	6	7	9	8	9	13	12	9	6

Best time to travel to the Florida Keys

The islands at the southern end of Florida are called Keys. The best known are the Florida Keys as they are connected by 42 bridges. The island chain ends with the city of Key West , which is particularly popular with beach holidaymakers. The Florida Keys climate is tropical and more similar to the Caribbean than Florida. No wonder, because the Caribbean is not far away. It’s only 140 kilometers from Key West to Cuba. The Gulf Stream brings the warm waters of the Caribbean to the Florida Keys. Therefore, it is on average warmer on the island chain and there is less rainfall than in the other areas of Florida. In Key West, due to its location in the Atlantic Ocean, there are frequent hurricanes in the summer months. It is also the rainy season on the Florida Keys during this time. On average, it rains 40 percent of the days in the summer months from June to September. So the best time to travel to the Florida Keys is autumn, winter and spring. Low precipitation and pleasant warm weather enable you to enjoy a wonderful beach holiday in December, January, February, March, April and May .