Has it rained enough in Sacramento?
Two showers have passed over in three weeks. Every one wet the leaves and was gone by lunchtime — none of it reached the roots.
Sacramento has had 1.2mm of rain in the last 30 days. A normal August here brings 1.8mm, so the ground is roughly where it should be for the time of year.
Rain reaching the roots · 14 days
2 SeptToday
Rain in Sacramento through a normal year
Across a normal year Sacramento gets about 613.2mm of rain, most of it in December (123.6mm) and least in July (0.4mm).
That makes Sacramento the driest place this site covers in the United States in August — 1.8mm against Tampa's 191.8mm at the other end.
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Average rainfall by month, 1995–2024
What that means for what you grow
- Pots and hanging basketsWorst hit, and first to suffer. Very little soil, fully exposed, and nothing to fall back on — in this weather they can empty in a day.
- Salad and leafy vegShallow-rooted and quick to bolt once they run dry. First priority of anything in the ground.
- Beds and bordersA long soak that reaches the roots is worth more than a daily sprinkle, which only wets the surface and is gone by lunchtime.
- Established shrubs and treesFine as they are. They draw from far deeper than a dry spell reaches.
Your own garden, not the town average
This page is worked out for Sacramento as a whole. Your garden has its own soil, its own shade and its own planting, and the front page will use your exact location instead.
Check my garden