QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY: PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Provided By: Sacramento Regional Research Institute

Quality of Life

Placer County's climate, geography, and historical richness contribute to its high quality of life. The geography of the County encompasses the grasslands of the Gold Country the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range, and numerous rivers, lakes, state parks, and ski resorts. For those who desire a respite from urban life, Placer County offers hiking, biking, camping, snow skiing, snow boarding, horseback riding, fishing, water sports, ice-skating, and hunting. For the more cosmopolitan resident, Placer County also offers superb shopping, education, and cultural opportunities.

This section discusses climate, ground stability, personal safety, health services, recreational activities, in addition to

entertainment and cultural activities.

Climate

Moderate, dry days and cool nights characterize the summer months in Placer County.  The temperature during the summer varies between the Valley and High Country areas.  Typically, the Valley reaches higher temperatures, while mountain temperatures are lower. The rainy season in Placer County occurs between November and April, but excessive rainfall and damaging windstorms are rare. The Sierra Nevada snowfields are a major source of water during the dry summer months. As shown in Figure 76, yearly average temperatures for the selected areas in Placer County range from about 43 to over 60 degrees Fahrenheit, while average annual precipitation ranges from about 21 to 67 inches.

Sacramento Regional Research Institute, December 2005

Data Source: Western Region Climate Center

Note: The period of record covers 1914 through March 2005,

except for Rocklin (1971 to 2000) and Colfax (1948 to 2005).

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