Geographic Patterns and Qualities

Though its only about 360 miles or so outside of Los Angeles County, Sacramento and Los Angeles are different in quite a few ways! Here are some redeeming geological qualities that make up Sacramento.

A flood in Sacramento during the 19th century
(Source: http://www.placergop.org/media/sacflood.jpg)

Sacramento, like Los Angeles (and most of California,) is situated in the Pacific mountains and valleys region of North America. The city's elevation is about 30 feet above sea level, and both the Sacramento and American rivers running through the city. Because of its low elevation, in the 19th century the then-young city was very susceptible to flooding, until the city was raised in order to prevent such a measure from happening anymore.

Generally, the weather in Sacramento is mild, with a temperature range of 62 degrees Fahrenheit per year. The average highest temperature is 93 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average lowest temperature falls to 37 degrees Fahrenheit. (Climatetemp.info) Sacramento is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada and Siskiyou Mountains, and the California coastline.(city-data.com) These ranges cause heavy winds to blow through Sacramento during the summer, and rainy weather during the winter. In some rare occasions, snowfall has occurred in Sacramento, but only if the city has an unusually cold winter (which, sometimes it does, as seen by personal experience!) Although the nearest coastline is 100 miles away, the ocean breezes still reach the city, keeping the temperatures moderate, but still dry.

Eldorado National Forest
(Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3287/2798883494_9737b94db1.jpg)

Sacramento does not have any forests or wildlife surrounding its city; the closest forest to Sacramento is the Eldorado National forest, which is approximately 45 miles away from the city. The California coastline is also far away from Sacramento, with the closest public beach being around 105 miles away. Both the Sacramento and American rivers are supplied with water from melting snow from the Sierra Nevada. In the 19th century, these two rivers were heavily panned for gold during the Gold Rush. However, the two rivers still have a supply of gold within them, and there are places where one can stop off to try to pan for gold outside of the city.

Typical farm found in California
(Source: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4431116423_f17de174c2.jpg)

Many farms surround Sacramento, due to the Mollisol soil found in the area surrounding the city. This soil makes it easy for farmers to grow their yearly crops, and the temperatures around the area make it easy to control burn and chill factors, resulting in quality fruits and vegetables that I have found sold in multiple parts of the nation. The same soil can be found in Napa Valley, located about 65 miles away from Sacramento, and home to some of the most famous wineries known in the United States.