Climate
The climate of the mountains is distinctive in how it varies from the coast to the inland slopes. Generally, it can be said that the mountains have milder temperatures and more rainfall near the coast. However, the mountains produce a great difference in interior and coastal climates. The interior tends to be drier and warmer in the Summer months, but the eastern slopes resemble an interior climate.
The coast tends to have around 60 inches (150 cm) of rainfall a year, rising to 100 inches (250 cm) of rainfall at the peaks. The arid eastern areas receive around 30 inches (76 cm) annually. Rainfall is heaviest in the winter and lightest in the summer. Fogs provide an additional source of water at low elevations especially during the summer. Most precipitation in the lower elevations is from rain; however, at higher elevations snow becomes a major source of water.
Snowfall can occur in the higher reaches because of the lower temperatures that occur there. Temperature trends actually tend to lie parallel to the coast, because of the ocean's major influence. The mean annual temperature is around 11.0 to 11.5 °C (52 to 53 °F) in the low elevations; however, higher in the mountains and further east, the temperatures range from minimums just above freezing to highs around 21.0 to 23.0 °C (70 to 73 °F).
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