Wind in California

Glenn,

In answer to your question regarding wind being a limiting factor to gardening in California, the answer depends on where you are in California.  Microclimates are so varied due to topography, distance from the ocean, proximity to major mountain passes, etc.  In general, in Northern and Central California, wind along the coast is a very predictable almost year round phenomenon.  Mornings can be quite calm, but as the inland areas heat up, it caused the winds to come onshore.  This is most pronounced as the weather warms up in the interior valleys of California.  The San Francisco Bay Area and the Salinas Valley inland from Carmel/Monterey, extend the coastal influence much further into the interior of the state than elsewhere, with the result of wamer winter temps and cooler breezier summers.  But, if this is blocked by a mountain, and exposure to the sun is factored in, temperatures can vary by 15 to 20 degrees F in almost adjoining neighbor! ho! ! ods, especially in the summer.  San Francisco itself is only 8 square miles across, but it can be a balmy 75 to 80 degrees F with no wind in North Beach, Potrero Hill and the Mission District while it is 55 F due to the wind chill, fog and wind in the Financial District, Twin Peaks and the Sunset/Richmond Districts.  The fog and winds of summer near the ocean are most definitely strong determinants for what type of garden to create, and creating windbreaks and using the building mass to block winds is always a good idea.  Other locations near to San Francisco which also are on the coast can be quite pleasant even with the same fog, as the mountains behind Bolinas and Pacifica can create much more pleasant and less windy environments.  Winter along the coast can be absolutely glorious on a sunny day, shirtsleeve weather even in the dead of winter, while someplace more inland like Walnut Creek, just 30 miles inland, can be 30 degrees F colder.  To summ! ar! ! ize, I'd say that coastal equals windy, inland equals calmer, as a general rule of thumb in  the northern half of the state. 

I'll let someone else explain the peculularities of Los Angeles, which has generally much warmer, less windy climate year round, plus those amazing fall Santa Ana winds off the desert  mountains.  These winds can push all the smog way out to sea and make L.A. look beautiful and clear.   I would guess that the climate of L.A. is more similar to Capetown's, except that it is much less windy. We rarely get these types of wind in the Bay Area, but when we do, it can result in explosive urban wildfires such as the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire, which could not have been stopped if the winds had not died down.


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