Climate
In the Northern California Chaparral, the winters are very wet and the summers are very dry. In the wettest month of the year, typically January, the most rain would be no more than 5 inches of rain. Nearly all of the rainfall occurs in the winter and spring rainy season. Most of the 12-40 inches per year of precipitation is in the form of rain: fall, winter, and spring receiving equal amounts. Precipitation in the driest month is less than 1 inch. The wettest month of winter gets 3-4 inches of rain. Overall, the Chaparral has a very mild climate.
Seasonal Trends
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Three main seasons makeup the weather patterns of the California chaparral; spring, fall and the drought season in which there is minimal precipitation. Of these, fall is by far the least significant lasting but a few weeks, predominantly in June. Fall is followed by the drought season. Precipitation and with it moisture will only return in November, sparking a period of growth in the ecosystem; in contrast to many other ecosystems, in which the winter is seen as a time where survival, not growth is many organisms' primary objective. Although there are no directly weather-related natural disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes in the chaparral, forest and grass fires are natural and, in the long-term, beneficial to the environment. For this reason, I would suggest that any tourists visit in late spring, perhaps May. The chances of wildfire are reduced, the temperature is pleasant and the landscape is at its most dramatic as the plants begin to yellow moving into June.