what is the average rainfall in california?

Answer 1

6 inches.

Answer 2

Some areas get near zero, others have over 100 inches a year. In the 1964 floods rainfall rates were recorded at six inches an hour. The range is huge; don't know of any average done for that large a geographic area.

Answer 3

California is a very large state renowned for its mini climate zones. Each zone has its own "normal" temperature, humidity, precipitation, and other factors we associate with climate.

The mini climates stem from several geographical and topological factors. California extends lengthwise north and south; so it covers several degrees of latitude, more than any other state. California's coastline is the longest in the continental U.S. The state's eastern border varies from tall mountains in the north to the lowest desert in the U.S. in the south. All this topological and geographical variety, and more, creates a background for the mini climate zones.

For example, in the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA), where I live, we have coastal high temperatures that typically vary between about 50-65 deg F over a year. But just twenty miles east of there, on the other side of some foothills, the high temperatures will vary from about 50-95 deg F over a year. And if we go even further east, to Lake Tahoe, the high temperatures will vary between about 20-80 deg F over a year.

Similarly, rainfall around the SFBA also varies considerably from mini zone to mini zone. In the south bay area, around the Santa Cruz foothills, rainfall is considerably higher than rainfall inland near Concord and Walnut Creek. Check the cited source under California Central Coastal and you can see for yourself how the rainfall varied from season to season, and from place to place in 2005.

There are exceptions of course...such is the nature of weather. For example, although it "never snows" in the SFBA, in fact it has snowed here to the point we could make snowmen at least three times in the forty years I've lived in the Bay Area. There may be a few more times, but I don't recall them And now that I think of it, I seem to recall it snowed in La La land (aka, Los Angeles) a couple of times in that same forty years.

Answer 4

You need to be more specific. Rainfall varies according to several factors including topography, latitude, and air circulation patterns across a region. Check the website for accurate location information. It's provided by the Golden Gate Weather services.

Answer 5

Which part of Cali. are you talking about? Generally, up in the mountains there is a lot more precip. than those locations along the coast.

Answer 6

It never rains in Southern California ............. lah lah lah

Answer 7

close to none.