Crescent City is one of the rainiest places in all of California. Not far from here in the coastal mountains, average annual precipitation totals of over 100 inches per year have been recorded. The city itself averages an impressive 70 inches annually. But even here in the rainy north, a seasonal pattern of precipitation is evident. The vast majority of precipitation falls as rain during the fall, winter and spring. Summers here can be quite dry, especially a short distance from the coast. Fog and low clouds, however, are common along the shore in all months.
Owing to its location on the shores of the Pacific, Crescent City has a very small range of temperatures. In fact, there is often a larger diurnal difference in summer between the daily high and low temperatures than there is between the summer and winter high temperatures. Like many other coastal sites in Northern California, Crescent City experiences a significant seasonal temperature lag. The highest temperatures of the year often occur in late August through late September, well after the summer solstice and the period of maximum isolation.
- Köppen Classification: (Csbn) Mediterranean/summer fog.
- Current Conditions available via the National Weather Service.
- Climate data from The Western Regional Climate Center.
Rob O’Keefe
