Before you excitedly begin making reservations, deciding what time of year to go on a California vacation is something to consider first. With so many different regions, attractions, and places to visit, any number of things can sour your travel plans - from colder winter weather in California to higher prices in the summer, you will need to judge the risks against the rewards, and plan accordingly. Whether you want to visit Disneyland and bask in the perpetual sun typical of Southern California weather or visit Mt Shasta, knowing what to expect can help your California vacation go more smoothly.
Planning ahead of time gives you the added comfort of knowing what kind of conditions to expect from the weather in California. This can be especially important if you plan to spend time out of doors. Many visitors plan on coming to Napa and touring the wineries. At anytime of year, being outside in California Wine Country is a pleasant experience that should be a part of every California vacation.
In the spring, among the countless rows of grapes, mustard and wildflowers bloom. The summer months sees long, hot days under the sun, and this is when most of the tourists fill the tasting rooms and bed and breakfasts of Napa Valley. Autumn is still warm and pleasant, and the harvest time sees lots of crowds as well. By November it is raining and travel to this area quiets down until the following spring. Napa has some of the most agreeable year-round weather California can offer the visitor.
San Francisco is one of the major destinations for a California vacation. The climate in San Francisco has some of the most unique weather California has to offer; you simply have to see the fast-moving blanket of fog that comes like clockwork every summer afternoon to believe it. With outdoor attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39, you will be probably be spending a great amount of time outside when you visit San Francisco. It never snows here, but the fog that moves over the peninsula can be rather chilly. The temperature rarely rises above 80 degrees and almost never goes below 40, so the city is comfortable year round.
Winters in San Francisco are from November to March, and generally consist of no more than some rain. The never-ending possibility of earthquakes in this part of Northern California gives the locals plenty more to be concerned with than a little rain. Weather in California varies from region to region; there are many different elevations from mountains to deserts, so you need to pack according to where you are going.
If a visit to Southern California is part of your California travel plans, you may want to keep in mind that the months of July to October are the busiest and most expensive times to visit Los Angeles. Typical of Southern California weather, nearly every day of the year is sunny and warm, so you won't miss much besides the crowds if you come in the off-season. Aside from the smog, there are not a lot of other environmental restraints on traveling.
Southern California weather is part of the reason visitors come here in the first place, so you will find tons of sun worshippers on the beaches in the summer. East of LA, the deserts have some of the hottest weather California has, so you may want to save you trip for the fall or the spring. Knowing ahead of time what to expect from California weather can help you enjoy your vacation.
