Best time to visit Sacramento
The best time to visit Sacramento is April–May and October, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Sacramento, California, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.8 °C / 59 °F | 5.3 °C / 42 °F | 103 mm / 4.1 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 17.2 °C / 63 °F | 6.5 °C / 44 °F | 101 mm / 4 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 19.4 °C / 67 °F | 8.3 °C / 47 °F | 92 mm / 3.6 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 23.5 °C / 74 °F | 10.5 °C / 51 °F | 39 mm / 1.5 in | best month |
| May | 27.8 °C / 82 °F | 13.2 °C / 56 °F | 16 mm / 0.6 in | best month |
| June | 31.9 °C / 89 °F | 15.9 °C / 61 °F | 4 mm / 0.2 in | good month |
| July | 33.4 °C / 92 °F | 16.5 °C / 62 °F | 1 mm / 0 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 33 °C / 91 °F | 16.3 °C / 61 °F | 0 mm / 0 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 31.4 °C / 89 °F | 15.2 °C / 59 °F | 4 mm / 0.2 in | good month |
| October | 26.3 °C / 79 °F | 12 °C / 54 °F | 34 mm / 1.3 in | best month |
| November | 18.9 °C / 66 °F | 7.6 °C / 46 °F | 60 mm / 2.4 in | good month |
| December | 14.1 °C / 57 °F | 5.2 °C / 41 °F | 111 mm / 4.4 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: good
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–May, October
- Good
- June, September, November
Spring (April-May) and early autumn (October) give Sacramento warm, dry, sunny days ideal for exploring on foot, while the winter rains (December-March) turn the city grey and wet, and the peak of summer (July-August) gets too hot for a comfortable full day outdoors.
Why these months
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22 °C / 72 °F, average daily high 23.5 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, average daily low 10.5 °C / 51 °F, relative humidity 56%.
Against: precipitation 39 mm / 1.5 in, wet days 5 days.
Also on: Blossom season.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.7 °C / 80 °F, precipitation 16 mm / 0.6 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, average daily high 27.8 °C / 82 °F, wet days 2.5 days, days with heavy rain 0.4 days, average daily low 13.2 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 49%.
Also on: Blossom season, Sacramento Capitol City Jazz Festival.
Watch out for: Memorial Day.
June · good
In its favour: precipitation 4 mm / 0.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 0.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.1 days, average daily low 15.9 °C / 61 °F, relative humidity 46%.
Against: feels like (high) 31.7 °C / 89 °F, average daily high 31.9 °C / 89 °F.
Also on: California State Fair, Concerts in the Park, French Film Festival, Sacramento Pride Festival and Parade, Trash Film Orgy.
Watch out for: Juneteenth.
September · good
In its favour: precipitation 4 mm / 0.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 95%, wet days 0.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.1 days, average daily low 15.2 °C / 59 °F, relative humidity 51%.
Against: feels like (high) 30.8 °C / 87 °F, average daily high 31.4 °C / 89 °F.
Watch out for: Labor Day.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.5 °C / 76 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, average daily high 26.3 °C / 79 °F, days with heavy rain 1 days, average daily low 12 °C / 54 °F, relative humidity 53%.
Against: precipitation 34 mm / 1.3 in, wet days 3 days.
Also on: Foliage fall.
November · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.1 °C / 63 °F, average daily high 18.9 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, relative humidity 66%, average daily low 7.6 °C / 46 °F.
Against: days with heavy rain 2 days, precipitation 60 mm / 2.4 in, wet days 6 days.
Also on: Foliage fall.
Watch out for: Holiday season travel rush, Thanksgiving travel rush, Veterans Day.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Kirkwood Mountain Resort, 123 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 12.7 °C | 14.9 °C | 17.4 °C | 22 °C | 26.7 °C | 31.7 °C | 34 °C | 33.4 °C | 30.8 °C | 24.5 °C | 17.1 °C | 11.9 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 3.6 days | 3.7 days | 3.6 days | 1.4 days | 0.4 days | 0.1 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0.1 days | 1 days | 2 days | 4.1 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 4 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 1 pm | 12 pm | 12 pm | 3 pm | 12 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 5 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 7.2 h | 8.6 h | 9.7 h | 11.5 h | 13.2 h | 13.7 h | 13.9 h | 13.1 h | 11.8 h | 10.1 h | 8.3 h | 6.7 h |
| Relative humidity | 75% | 68% | 65% | 56% | 49% | 46% | 51% | 52% | 51% | 53% | 66% | 75% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 10.2 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 7 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 8.3 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 11.9 µg/m³ | 14.9 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 16.5 µg/m³ | 16.7 µg/m³ | 14.4 µg/m³ | 13.6 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ | 11.9 µg/m³ | 11.3 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | 14.6 µg/m³ | 18.8 µg/m³ | 23.4 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Blossom season
March, April and May
- Sacramento Capitol City Jazz Festival
May, dates vary from year to year
- Concerts in the Park
June, July and August
- Sacramento Pride Festival and Parade
June
- California State Fair
June, July and August
- French Film Festival
June, July and August
- Trash Film Orgy
June, July and August
- Foliage fall
October and November
Worth knowing before you go
- New Year's Day
1 January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January, dates vary from year to year
- Holiday season travel rush
January, November and December, dates vary from year to year
- Presidents' Day
February, dates vary from year to year
- Memorial Day
May, dates vary from year to year
- Juneteenth
19 June
- Independence Day
4 July
- Labor Day
September, dates vary from year to year
- Veterans Day
11 November
- Thanksgiving travel rush
November, dates vary from year to year
- Christmas
24–25 December