The climate in Solano County has a little something to offer everyone. While plenty of sunshine is common in the region, the condition that most influences the weather in general is the wind.
Suisun City, after all, is named after the wind.
The perfect place to live in Solano County, as far as the weather is concerned, really depends on how warm or cool one likes it. For those seeking cooler temperatures, locations in the western side of the county like Suisun City, Fairfield, Vallejo and Benicia are preferable. Those wanting things a little warmer might prefer the eastern side of the county in places like Vacaville and Dixon.
The Solano County Climate Action Plan specifically mentions the influence of the wind, stating, “Solano County has some of the strongest inland winds in California.”
The development of wind power with the Montezuma Wind Project and Solano Wind Facility are evidence the wind is a constant aspect of Solano’s weather. Even businesses like Fairfield’s Anheuser-Busch plant have taken note, installing wind turbines that generate as much as 15 percent of the facility’s annual energy, according to the Climate Action Plan.
To understand fully how the wind affects weather in one half of the county and less so in the other, one needs only examine the climate differences between Fairfield and Vacaville, which is the general dividing line for the wind’s influence.
According to the Western Regional Climate Center, the average annual wind speed in Vacaville is 6 mph, while the average in Fairfield is 12.7 mph.
The overall effect on temperature is negligible, with Fairfield having an average high temperature of 73.2 degrees and an average low of 47.5 degrees, compared to the Vacaville average high and low of 76.2 degrees and 48.7 degrees, respectively. Where the influence of the wind really shows up is in weather extremes. Vacaville averages 21 days a year with highs over 100 degrees, while Fairfield averages just 11 days over 100 degrees.
