Weather Info

Table of Climatic Averages, Sun & Moon Table

Weather Information
Sonoma County's climate is almost ideal with cool summer nights and days that are rarely hot and humid. Winter conditions are temperate with normal rainfall measuring 25 - 30 inches per year. Cooling, romantic fog sometimes blankets the coastline, and occasionally, sneaks into the inland valleys.

Climate and rainfall generally can be coordinated by seasons with December, January and February characterized as Winter when temperatures range from highs of 63 degrees to lows of 37, and from 4 to 6 inches of rain hits.

March ushers in Spring and continues through April and May with highs of 75 degrees and lows of 41; rain averaging from 4 inches to less than 1 inch.

Summer days can be as hot as 100 degrees at times, but the average high for June, July and August is 84, as the coastal breezes and fog moderate the extremes. Lows are at 52 with only trace amounts of precipitation.

Indian summer often marks the advent of Fall in September in the county and temperatures may fluctuate between 83 and 51 degrees and rainfall is still just a trace. October and November are cooler and wetter with highs of 77 and 65 and lows of 47 and 42, respectively. As much as 2 to 4 inches of rain may fall.

Sonoma County Climatic Zones
information provided by
Metro Weather Service
800-488-7866
www.metroweather.com

The Vineyards
Our vineyards are popular for film and catalog shoots, and provide many spectacular backgrounds, but it is important to understand how their views vary throughout the year.

February is truly a beautiful time when seas of bright yellow mustard are often shining through the rows of bare vines. In March buds open revealing pale, inch-long leaves. March through May growers carefully watch the fast-growing shoots as the weather is in transition from winter.

June is blossom time when the buds unfold and require 10 to 14 days of dry, moderate weather to set a full crop of wine grapes. July is clean-up time. Vines stop growing, and the fruit starts to mature.

In theory, grapes will are ready for picking in August, but in practice, the ripening time extends from September into late October. In November, after the harvest, the Chardonnay leaves turn a delicate yellow, Cabernet Sauvignon is bright crimson, and Petite Sirah goes into dark purple, the shades approximating the colors of the fruit.

In December, pruners go into the fields to cut back last season's growth, a task that continues through late February. Proper pruning is a factor in determining the quantity and quality of next season's crop.