Climate
Richmond, like much of the coastal East Bay, enjoys a very mild Mediterranean climate year round. The climate is slightly warmer than the coastal areas of San Francisco, the Peninsula, and Marin County; it is however more temperate than areas further inland. The average highs range from 57 °F (14 °C) to 73 °F (23 °C) and the lows between 43 °F (6 °C) to 56 °F (13 °C) year round. Richmond usually enjoys an "Indian summer", and September is, on average, the warmest month. January is on average the coldest month.
The highest recorded temperature in Richmond was 107 °F/41.6 °C in September 1971 while the coldest was 24 °F/-4.4 °C in January 1990.
The rainy season begins in late October and ends in April with some showers in May. Most of the rain occurs during stronger storms which occur between November and March and drop 3.3 to 4.91 inches (125 mm) of rain per month. January and February are the rainiest months.
Like most of the Bay Area, Richmond is made up of several microclimates. Southern parts of the city and the ridges receive more fog than northern areas. Summer temperatures are higher in inland areas, where the moderating influence of San Francisco Bay is lessened. The average wind speed is 6 to 9 miles per hour with stronger winds from March through August; the strongest winds are in June. The city also enjoys more than 80% sunshine 7 months out of the year and 10 with 60% or more. December and January are the darkest months with about 45% average brightness. The city experiences virtually no snowfall, and brief hail annually. The city is very humid in the morning with the lowest humidity being in the high 70% range. This may be due to San Francisco Bay's notorious fog and also the fact that a majority of Richmond lies on a flat coastal plain predominantly consisting of reclaimed tidal marshes, inter-tidal flats, and seep. Morning humidity is 75% to 92% year round; afternoon humidity is more variable. This percentage is in the high 20s to mid 30s (%) May through October (the summer months) and climbs or descends through 40% to 70% during the winter.
| Climate data for Richmond, California (1981–2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 57.6 (14.2) |
61.1 (16.2) |
64.2 (17.9) |
66.8 (19.3) |
69.1 (20.6) |
72.1 (22.3) |
71.5 (21.9) |
72.3 (22.4) |
74.4 (23.6) |
72.1 (22.3) |
64.6 (18.1) |
57.7 (14.3) |
66.96 (19.42) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 43.5 (6.4) |
45.9 (7.7) |
47.5 (8.6) |
49.4 (9.7) |
52.2 (11.2) |
54.6 (12.6) |
55.7 (13.2) |
56.3 (13.5) |
56.3 (13.5) |
53.6 (12.0) |
48.8 (9.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
50.64 (10.36) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 4.79 (121.7) |
4.64 (117.9) |
3.45 (87.6) |
1.60 (40.6) |
0.77 (19.6) |
0.21 (5.3) |
0 (0) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.17 (4.3) |
1.36 (34.5) |
3.19 (81) |
4.55 (115.6) |
24.80 (629.9) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.5 | 10.0 | 9.3 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 7.3 | 9.4 | 60.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
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