Blog Article
July 1 Nice Weather: Wine Country Peaks, PNW Shines Friday
Northern California wine country hits Beautiful for day 23 of its streak, then the Pacific Northwest takes over Friday July 3rd with the best scores of the holiday week.
The Streak Turns 23: California's Wine Country Peaks Again While the Pacific Northwest Gets Ready to Shine
Yesterday's Nice Weather post noted that the California streak was already at 22 days and that the peak was sitting right then, right now. That was true yesterday, and it's still mostly true today. But here's the wrinkle: today isn't just a continuation of the streak, it's also the handoff. Wine country holds its Beautiful rating one more time, and then the Pacific Northwest takes over for the holiday weekend in a way the data hasn't shown all week.
Let's talk about both.
Today: Santa Rosa and Napa Hold the Top Spot
The number one city in the country right now is Santa Rosa, CA, scoring 92/100 and sitting in the Beautiful category. Napa is right alongside it at the same score. Dewpoints averaging around 47°F, winds barely gusting past 14 mph, near-zero cloud cover, and a near-zero rain chance. That's about as clean a summer afternoon as Northern California gets.
The reason this zone tops out at Beautiful rather than Perfect comes down to two things: temperature scores just below the Perfect gate threshold, and UV index readings of 8.1 at Santa Rosa and Napa. The Perfect category requires UV at or below 7, and neither city clears that bar today. So wear sunscreen if you're heading out to a patio or a vineyard tasting room this afternoon, because the sun has some bite even with the comfortable feel.
Boise, Idaho checks in at Nice (81.8/100), with dewpoints in the mid-40s and gusts staying below 20 mph. Sacramento and Stockton are also in the Nice range at 82/100. The broader Intermountain West corridor is in good shape, though wind is the limiting factor keeping most of it from climbing higher.
For the rest of the country: the heat wave dominating the eastern half of the U.S. is very real. The WPC is flagging dangerous heat indices reaching 100 to 115°F from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Northeast, with overnight lows staying in the 70s and 80s providing little relief. If you're looking at the Nice Weather outlook page and wondering why most of the map east of the Rockies is dim today, that's why.
The 23-Day Streak: What It Actually Means
Redding, Shasta Lake, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Stockton, Oakland, and a long list of California cities are all sitting on a 23-day live streak of Nice or better weather as of today. That's the full history span in the data, which means some of these cities may have been running even longer. Walnut Grove, Gilroy, Stockton, Oakland, and Modesto all had Perfect-rated days as recently as June 21st within that streak.
The Southern California coast deserves its own mention here. Ventura has averaged 86.3/100 across all seven days of this outlook, ranking first in the country for the week. Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ojai, and the surrounding stretch of coastline from Pismo Beach down through Oxnard are all in the top 20 weekly rankings nationally. That stretch of coast between Point Conception and the Ventura County line is doing something special this week, and it's not a fluke.
The Real Story: Friday, July 3rd Is the Best Day of the Holiday Window
If you're planning outdoor time over the Fourth of July weekend, Friday July 3rd is the day to prioritize in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California interior.
Portland, OR scores 92/100 on Friday. Salem, Eugene, and Medford all hit 92/100. Yakima and Wenatchee in Washington both land at 92/100. Santa Rosa stays in the Beautiful zone at 92/100. The zone as a whole scores 86.5/100, the highest of any zone across the full seven-day window.
What's driving it: highs in the upper 70s to low 80s, dewpoints averaging around 46°F, essentially zero rain chance (1% zone average), and AQI readings in the mid-30s to low 40s. Portland checks in at 77°F with a dewpoint of 55°F, 29% cloud cover, and winds of 9 mph gusting to about 15. Medford is even cleaner: 84°F, 8% cloud cover, and winds barely moving. These are the kinds of numbers that make a patio breakfast, a long trail run, or a pre-fireworks afternoon in the park genuinely comfortable.
Spokane comes in at 82/100, the zone's weakest member, because winds gust to about 20 mph and the AQI sits at 39. Still a solid day, just a notch below the core of the zone.
A word on the UV: Medford and Santa Rosa both hit UV 8.0-8.1 on Friday. Portland and Spokane come in lower at 7.1 and 7.4 respectively. Sun protection is worth it for anyone spending extended time outside, especially at higher elevations.
The reason Friday stands out compared to Saturday (July 4th) is that scores step down a notch as the pattern shifts. The July 4th zone across the West tops out at Nice (76.1/100) rather than Beautiful, with wind scores pulling things back slightly and heat beginning to encroach on the eastern edges of the zone. Friday is genuinely the premium day of the holiday window for the Northwest.
A Quick Note on the Four Corners
If you're in western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico, northeastern Arizona, or eastern Utah this week: critical fire weather conditions are in effect today and tomorrow. Sustained southwest winds of 12-20 mph with gusts to 35 mph, relative humidity dropping to 3-15%, and very dry fuels make for dangerous conditions. This is not a region to be lighting anything outdoors right now, and if you're hiking or camping in that area, be aware that burn periods are extended and conditions are extreme.
The Week in Brief
Today is a Beautiful day in Northern California wine country, capping a 23-day streak. Thursday steps down slightly to Nice across the Intermountain West, with sky cover and a few AQI concerns keeping the best zones from climbing higher. Friday is the gem of the holiday weekend for the Pacific Northwest, with Portland, Medford, Eugene, Salem, Yakima, and Wenatchee all in Beautiful territory. Saturday and beyond hold Nice conditions across the West Coast corridor, with the heat wave gradually retreating from the East as next week progresses.
If you're in Northern California today, use it. If you're headed to the Pacific Northwest for the holiday, Friday is your day.