Sacramento: Geography and Climate

Sacramento lies in the center of California's broad and fruitful Sacramento Valley, 72 miles northeast of San Francisco. Shielded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east, the California Coast ranges to the west, and the Siskiyou Mountains to the north, the city enjoys a mild climate for most of the year. In the summer, however, "northers" blow from the Siskiyou Mountains, bearing pollens and heat. This is mitigated by Sacramento's extremely low humidity and the cool ocean breezes. The winters are rainy.