The Red Bluff Notebooks

Climate, Weather, Seasons

Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, 96080, USA, USDA Zone 9

By Karen and Mike Garofalo
Green Way Research, Red Bluff, California

Current Weather Underground Report for Red Bluff

Average Temperatures in Red Bluff    

Average Rainfall in Red Bluff

Gardening Guidelines: Frosts, Growing Season

USDA Zone 9

Links and Reading

Weather Quotes, Lore, and Facts

Coping with the Summer Heat

Monthly Gardening Chores 

Paths in the Valley Blog 

Red Bluff Notebooks of Karen and Mike Garofalo

Who are Karen and Mike Garofalo

Normal Weather Conditions

Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, 96080, USDA Zone 9

Averages from 1950-1995 

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Gardening Guidelines

Number of days in the growing season:  274

Typical last frost day: March 3rd.   

We usually wait until from April 15 to May 15 to plant our warm weather summer kitchen garden. 

Typical first frost day: December 5th

Average Annual rainfall:   20" to 24". 

Monthly Gardening Chores for Red Bluff, California, USDA Zone 9

Daily Journal: Paths in the Valley   Daily notes of Karen and Mike Garofalo from Red Bluff, California. 

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Growing Zones

We garden in USDA Zone 9  (Winter Lows: 20-30°F) 

For a list of monthly garden chores in Zone 9, please refer to our monthly webpages.

We garden in Sunset Magazine's Zone 8.  

We are share many features with Sunset Zone 9, except that we live at the lowest ground level in the north Sacramento Valley and cold air flows down to our area from the foothills.   "Low temperatures in Zone 8 over a 
20-year period ranged from 29°F to 13°F." - Sunset.  Sunset Zones 8 and 9 have high daytime temperatures in the summer, clear skies and bright sunshine, little or no rain during the summer, and tule fogs in the winter.  Tule fogs are dense fogs that rise from the ground on cold and clear nights  and often stay till midday."  We have rarely had the dense Tule fogs in our area like they do in Bakersfield.   

Storms during the wet season are often accompanied by winds, either from the south or north, from 15-25 mpg with strong gusts up to 55 mph with winds from the north and south.  These strong winds pose problems for any tall and newly planted trees and shrubs unless they are staked.  The summer winds cause dehydration unless water is carefully applied.       

Monthly Gardening Chores for Red Bluff, California, USDA Zone 9

Daily Journal: Paths in the Valley  Daily notes of Karen and Mike Garofalo from Red Bluff, California. 

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Links and References

Current Weather Conditions in Red Bluff from the Weather Channel  Red Bluff Zip Code:  96080

Current Weather Conditions in Red Bluff from the Weather Underground

Current Weather Facts   Airport 

Daily Journal: Paths in the Valley   Daily notes of Karen and Mike Garofalo from Red Bluff, California. 

Monthly Gardening Chores for Red Bluff, California, USDA Zone 9

National Weather Service Home Page

Red Bluff Weather   City of Red Bluff 

Seasons

Spirit of Gardening

Weather Lore from the Weekend Gardener

Weather Lore   Interesting explanations of weather lore.

Weather Proverbs by George D.  Freier.   Fisher Books, 1997.    224 pages.

KHSL Television, Chico, Weather

Weather Clichés

Weather Lore and Myths

Some other cities or towns in the North Sacramento Valley include: Yuba City, Colusa, Williams, Marysville, Gridley, Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton City, Orland, Willows, Corning, Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber, Manton, Cottonwood, Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Igo, Ono, and Redding, CA, California.  The largest cities in the North Sacramento Valley are: Yuba City, Chico, and Redding. 

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Coping with the Summer Heat

1.  If you can, work outdoors before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m..  If you can, stay indoors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m..  You can work at night.  Hide out in the shade whenever possible.  Early summer mornings and late summer evenings are often quite comfortable - enjoy them. 

2.  Drink plenty of cool fluids throughout the day.   Don't get dehydrated.  Eat less often, and avoid "heavy" meals.  

3.  Keep some Perspective:  Remember the wonderful cool days from November until May.  It may be hot but it is not also smoggy.  The hottest days last only three or four months out of twelve.  Each season has its beauty and charm.  Our humidity is frequently relatively low - thankfully.  Hot is hot and that's the way it is ... accept the facts and quit complaining.    

4.  Water the plants in the early morning or early evening hours.  Use drip irrigation lines for trees and shrubs. 

5.  Keep lawn areas small to reduce the need for watering.  

6.  Keep using plants that can get by on less water and attention.  Use more drought tolerant plants. 

7.  Mulch all plants in the ground.   I like to use a thick layer of straw. 

8.   Water potted plants in the nursery twice a day when temperatures are over 95 degrees.  During the hottest summer months, move the potted plants in the nursery to locations where they can get some afternoon shade.

9.  Enjoy the luxurious growth and fruits of plants that love the heat: tomatoes, melons, peppers, gourds, grapes, corn, etc..

10.  Wear loose fitting and light colored clothing.   Cover all of your body with clothes.  Wear a light wide brimmed hat that breathes.  Use sunscreen lotion on the face and hands.  Avoid getting intense sunlight on your unprotected skin. 

11.  Whenever possible, wait until late October to plant trees and shrubs. 

12.  Whenever possible, save the really hard labor projects for the cooler months. 

13.  Effectively use the shade created by arbors, trellises, shade cloth, fences, trees, shrubs, and the sides of the house. 

14.  Get wet, take a cool shower, or sit in a shallow pool in the shade. 

15.  Whenever possible, relax, sit, rest, and do less physically stressful activities. 

16.  Keep your evaporative "swamp" cooler in good repair.  Maintain this important equipment: new pads each season, flushed pan, oiled fan bearings, float set properly, etc..   Keep one window or door open when using your swamp cooler.  Use a fan system at night to bring in the cool night air.  Use ceiling fans to keep the air moving.   In the morning, close up the house and draw down all the shades and blinds.   As finances permit, insulate!!  Whole house fans and/or attic fans can be very effective.  

17.  Strategically place large deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your house. 

18.  Some vacation time?  Go camping in Lassen National Park or in Redwoods National Park on the coast.  Seek the coolest vacation spots nearby.