What’s typical for February weather in Sacramento and when will it warm up?

Weather in Sacramento is always a conversation starter, especially if you’ve lived here for a while.

A reader reached out to The Bee in early 2023, curious how Sacramento’s current weather compares to wet, cloudy winters they experienced as a kid in 1960s. This question inspired us to look at both average temperatures and rainfall for this time of year, plus a glimpse at the weather 57 years ago.

Here’s what we found:

February brings more rain and cool temps to Sacramento

There’s no golden rule to rain in Sacramento, rather some years are more wet than others.

Majority of rain falls in December, January and February — but keep your umbrella on standby — because the region’s wet season can last to May. When there’s rain, said meteorologist Hannah Chandler-Cooley with the National Weather Service, fog and cloudy skies typically follow.

Some good news: Temperatures will start warming up in March, you just have to get through the wet days.

The normal temperature in Sacramento in early February is between 59 degrees and 60 degrees. On average, downtown Sacramento receives a total of 3.53 inches of rain.

By the end of March, temperatures typically increase to a high of 70 degrees.

Until then, expect cold mornings and mild nights.

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Sacramento weather in winter of 1966

Reader Samuel M wrote to The Bee, asking:“I grew up as a kid starting elementary school in north Sacramento back in 1966. I remember some sunny but cloudy and frequent rainy days for weeks on end from November to March. Could you compare that to today’s weather in your region?”

January 1966 was dry, compared to January 2023.

The average temperature during January 1966 was a high of 56.2 degrees, Chandler-Cooley said. In February, the average increased to a high of 58.9 degrees.

Roughly 2.1 inches of rain fell in Sacramento during January 1966, compared to 7.54 inches of rain in January 2023.

It rained six days in January 1966 with the most rain — 1.29 inches — falling on Jan. 29, 1966. In January 2023, it rained almost everyday for 18 days.

Nearly 1.58 inches of rain fell across the region in February 1966.

This story was originally published February 2, 2023 at 1:50 PM.