Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Environment
  • Arts and Lifestyle
  •  

Sacramento Sizzles Without The Delta Breeze

  •  Julia Mitric 
Friday, June 23, 2017 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
  

Let's face it: summers are bearable in the wider Sacramento region thanks to a merciful pocket of cool air. 

But right now the Delta Breeze is not blowing. 

Even on the Delta.

At New Romeo's Bait and Tackle in Freeport, the electric fan is set on high.

The store is tucked up against the Sacramento River. This may be the Sacramento Delta, but its breeze is not blowing.

"Since the weather's been 100 degrees and upwards, I haven't felt any breeze that's cool enough to be a breeze," says store owner Joedy Tran.

Her bait and tackle business has slowed to a trickle. Tran says no one wants to fish in this heat.

"We call it 'nature's air conditioner'," says KCRA's Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan.

"It's the breeze that keeps the Sacramento area a really livable part of the Valley."

How far it travels depends on its strength and the distance from the Delta. According to Finan, communities north of Chico and south of Modesto don't feel its relief. 

The Coast Ranges block the Valley from the cool air of the Pacific.

But as Finan points out, there is a little gap: the Carquinez Strait, where the Delta pours out into the San Francisco Bay.

"And it's in that gap that that cool air can rush inland," explains Finan.

Cool air is very dense and stays close to the ground, so it doesn't climb over the coastal range very well.

"So that means it needs an opening in that coastal range to move inland," Finan says.

"When the Delta Breeze is working well, we can go from 105 degrees at 5 o'clock and drop down into the '60s by 9 o'clock."

In order for that to happen "what you like to see is for San Francisco to be socked in with fog — a thick fog — and maybe 60 degrees for a high," adds Finan.

So, one person's fog may be another person's sanity.

Tech consultant Todd Stein has lived in the Sacramento area for more than 20 years. 

He describes the Delta Breeze as "earth's way of apologizing for the heat of the day." 

According to Stein, being a fan of the coastal air earns him occasional mockery from his wife, who was born and raised in the Bay Area.

"Whenever I greet the Delta Breeze, she makes fun of me by repeating the phrase with a southern twang and a laugh." 

Stein says it may sound like something out of the Deep South, but he's grateful its "sweet forgiveness" belongs to the Valley. 

Romeos Bait Tackle _062317P

New Romeo's Bait & Tackle shop is located in Freeport. Julia Mitric / Capital Public Radio


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

 sacramentoweatherdeltaSan Francisco Bay AreaSummer

Julia Mitric

Former Food And Sustainability Reporter

For Julia, food and life are inseparable.   Read Full Bio 

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

More Environment Stories

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Much of the Sacramento Valley is under red flag warning starting Thursday

May 18, 2022

Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Is your house at risk of a wildfire? This online tool could tell you

May 16, 2022

Most Viewed

Eva, the hero dog, beats back a mountain lion that attacked her owner on a hike

Top California Democrats in a stalemate over gas rebates

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

1 killed, 8 wounded in shooting at Southern California party

Dear Life Kit: Is a recital really more important than my wedding?

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Eva, the hero dog, beats back a mountain lion that attacked her owner on a hike

Top California Democrats in a stalemate over gas rebates

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

1 killed, 8 wounded in shooting at Southern California party

Dear Life Kit: Is a recital really more important than my wedding?

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.