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Date: Jun. 26, 2007
Tags: None
If you are thinking of moving to Los Gatos, or even within the town, you want to be aware of the microclimates before making a final decision.
What? Microclimates? We know that the weather is often different in Santa Cruz, Capitola or Rio del Mar than it is in Los Gatos, Saratoga, or San Jose. And we know that this is also true within San Francisco - there are little climates where there's more or less fog, more or less wind, and the temperatures may fluctuate more or stay more consistent.
The key to understanding all of these microclimates is simple. It's a matter of hills.
Our climate is dominated by the chilly Pacific Ocean and offshore breezes. When things get too hot inland (whether San Jose or far inland in the Central Valley by Stockton), the Pacific kicks in with nature's air conditioning to cool things down. That usually translates to "fog". When the fog rolls in on the coast, frequently higher clouds are pushed inland, over the coastal range. And it's wind that does the pushing. Cold, foggy, damp wind.
So for instance, when the fog is getting sucked in to the hot, inland areas, it will be windy in downtown Los Gatos (and pretty much all along the Los Gatos Creek area extending into Campbell). The wind whips through from the ocean through the pass where Highway 17 runs - this is the opening of the funnel. Small hills can block that wind, and the weather will be calmer behind that protection. So while it's blustery and colder along North Santa Cruz Avenue, Main Street, the Almond Grove District, the Edelen District etc., it will be calm and peaceful and noticeably warmer (and more comfortable) in Belwood of Los Gatos or in the areas off Kennedy Road, Shannon Road, or over by Quito. Why? The hills block the flow of wind.
Conversely, when we experience a heat inversion (air gets trapped in the valley with a cooler layer sitting on top of the warmer one with no real wind at all), the last thing you really want is to block what little breeze may kick up in the late afternoon off the San Francisco Bay (often at around 4pm we get a gentle breeze from the bay and this helps cool things down nicely). There are small valleys within Los Gatos where it can just bake in summer due to the lack of breezes from the hills protection. Forrester Road comes to mind. It's a beautiful street with multi-million dollar homes, but it's also a very, very tiny valley of its own and it is roastingly hot in there in summer - probably the hottest spot in Los Gatos due to the lack of air circulation. (In winter, of course, it's a delight!)
In summer, you may not mind the cooling winds from Santa Cruz to your door. But in winter, you may not appreciate it as much!
So how do you know about this wind and its impact on microclimates? Here are a few tips, both for newcomers and for locals who perhaps just never noticed how the wind blows:
(1) Downtown (along the Los Gatos Creek, and areas close to highway 17) gets the most wind, for better or worse!
(2) When shopping for a home, check for hills. How close are they? Where are they in relation to downtown? Will they block the winds from there? The small hill known as Blossom Hill (Blossom Hill Road goes over a portion of it) blocks most of the offshore flow from The Pass, so homes in East Los Gatos get a breeze but not a super strong wind.
Any other tips from a long-term resident?
If you aren't in downtown Los Gatos and want to know how the weather is there, look at the Santa Cruz Mountains (aka "The Hill") and note if there are clouds clinging to the top of the ridge. If so, of course, you know it will be overcast at the coast.
Next find the pass where Highway 17 goes through from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz. It is the lowest point in the range - makes sense, right? Any trace of clouds there? If so, you know it will be windy in downtown.
In addition to wind and hills, there's one other thing to note, and that's elevation. Los Gatos is snuggled into the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Some of the town's homes are no where near the valley floor, but are instead elevated considerably (with breathtaking views, sometimes all the way to San Francisco some 60 miles to the north). Homes up high, with these great views, will of course also get more wind, but they will likely feast on some snow too if they're higher than 1500 feet in elevation. The higher the home, of course, the more likely snow is to happen - particularly when the storms descend from Alaska instead of the normal Pacific route.
Finally, when choosing an area in which to live, talk to your agent, talk to the home seller and talk to your prospective neighbors. Do a lot of research! You will be very glad you did.
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