Editing Palo Alto, California (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Palo Alto Baylands January 2013 004 edit.jpg|thumb|right|[[Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve]] interpretive center]]
Palo Alto is situated in the southeastern section of the [[San Francisco Peninsula]].

It consists of two large parcels of land connected by a narrow corridor. The southern inland section, located south of [[Interstate 280 (California)|Interstate 280]], is hilly, rural, and lightly populated and is the site of [[Arastradero Preserve|Pearson–Arastradero Preserve]] and Foothills Park both part of the Palo Alto park system and also large parts of the [[Los Trancos Open Space Preserve|Los Trancos]] and [[Monte Bello Open Space Preserve|Monte Bello]] Open Space Preserves part of the [[Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District]]. The city extends as far as [[California State Route 35|Skyline Boulevard]] along the ridge of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]].

The northern more densely populated parcel is bordered by [[San Francisquito Creek]] (with [[Menlo Park, California|Menlo Park]] and [[East Palo Alto, California|East Palo Alto]] in adjacent [[San Mateo County]] beyond) to the north, San Francisco Bay to the north-east, [[Mountain View, California|Mountain View]], [[Los Altos, California|Los Altos]], and [[Los Altos Hills, California|Los Altos Hills]] to the east and south-east and Stanford University to the south-west and west. Several major transit routes cross this parcel from the north-west to the south-east. The biggest and closest to the bay is the [[Bayshore Freeway]] and going inland are [[Central Expressway (California)|Alma Street/Central Expressway]], [[El Camino Real (California)|El Camino Real]], and [[Foothill Expressway]]. Interstate 280 is parallel and crosses the narrow corridor of land that connects the two parcels that makeup Palo Alto. Somewhat perpendicular to these roads are [[Sand Hill Road]] from El Camino until it crosses San Francisquito Creek into Menlo Park, Embarcadero Road, [[Oregon Expressway|Oregon Expressway/Page Mill Road]], Arastradero Road/East Charleston Road, and San Antonio Road (the last forms part of the boundary with Mountain View).

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|25.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|23.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|1.9|sqmi|km2}}, comprising 7.38%, is water.

The official elevation is {{convert|30|ft|m|0|abbr=}} above sea level,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:0::NO::P3_FID:277572|title=GNIS Detail – Palo Alto|website=geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=February 24, 2019|archive-date=July 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718105633/https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:0::NO::P3_FID:277572|url-status=dead}}</ref> but the city boundaries reach well into the northern section of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]].

===Water===
Palo Alto is crossed by several creeks that flow north in the direction of the San Francisco Bay, [[Adobe Creek (near Los Altos, California)|Adobe Creek]] near its eastern boundary, [[San Francisquito Creek]] on its western boundary, and [[Matadero Creek]] in between the other two. [[Arastradero Creek]] is a tributary to Matadero Creek, and [[Barron Creek]] is now diverted to [[Adobe Creek (near Los Altos, California)|Adobe Creek]] just south of Highway 101 by a diversion channel. The San Francisquito Creek mainstem is formed by the confluence of [[Corte Madera Creek (San Mateo County, California)|Corte Madera Creek]] and [[Bear Creek (San Francisquito Creek)|Bear Creek]] not far below [[Searsville Dam]]. Further downstream, [[Los Trancos Creek]] is a tributary to San Francisquito Creek below Interstate 280.

===Environmental features===
Palo Alto has a number of significant natural habitats, including [[estuarine]], [[riparian]], and [[oak]] forest. Many of these habitats are visible in [[Foothills Park, Palo Alto|Foothills Park]], which is owned by the city. The [[Charleston Slough]] contains a rich marsh and littoral zone, providing feeding areas for a variety of [[shorebird]]s and other estuarine wildlife.<ref>Jenks, 1976</ref>

===Climate===
Typical of the South Peninsula region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Palo Alto has a [[Mediterranean climate]] with mild, moderately wet winters and warm, dry summers. Typically, in the warmer months, as the sun goes down, the fog bank flows over the foothills to the west and covers the night sky, thus creating a blanket that helps trap the summer warmth absorbed during the day.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} Even so, it is rare for the overnight low temperature to exceed {{convert|60|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

In January, average daily temperatures range from a low of {{convert|39.0|°F|°C|abbr=on}} to a high of {{convert|57.8|°F|°C|abbr=on}}. In July, average temperatures range from {{convert|55.7|to|79.4|°F|°C|abbr=on}}. The record high temperature was {{convert|108|°F|°C|abbr=on}} on September 6, 2022, and the record low temperature was {{convert|20|°F|°C|abbr=on}} on January 11, 1949, and December 24, 1990. Temperatures reach {{convert|90|°F|0|abbr=on}} or higher on an average of 12.0 days. Temperatures drop to {{convert|32|°F|0|abbr=on}} or lower on an average of 14.0 days.

Due to the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] to the west, there is a "[[rain shadow]]" in Palo Alto, resulting in an average annual rainfall of only {{convert|15.12|in|mm}}. Measurable rainfall occurs on an average of 55.8 days annually. The wettest year on record was 1983 with {{convert|32.51|in|mm}} and the driest year was 2013 with {{convert|3.81|in|mm}}. The most rainfall in one month was {{convert|12.43|in|mm}} in February 1998 and the most rainfall in one day was {{convert|3.75|in|mm}} on February 3, 1998. Measurable snowfall is very rare in the populated areas of Palo Alto, but {{convert|1.5|in|cm}} fell on January 21, 1962.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/Climsmcca.html|title=Central California|website=Dri.edu}}</ref> A dusting of snow occasionally occurs in the highest (unpopulated) section of Palo Alto near Skyline Ridge, where the elevation reaches up to {{convert|2,812|ft|m}}.<ref name="snow">{{cite news |title=Snow-capped Palo Alto |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2008/12/16/snow-capped-palo-alto |access-date=June 19, 2018 |work=Palo Alto Online |date=December 15, 2008 |language=en}}</ref>

According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Palo Alto has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=646640&cityname=Palo+Alto,+California,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Palo Alto, California Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase.com}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Palo Alto, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1922–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 75
|Feb record high F = 84
|Mar record high F = 85
|Apr record high F = 98
|May record high F = 100
|Jun record high F = 107
|Jul record high F = 105
|Aug record high F = 101
|Sep record high F = 108
|Oct record high F = 100
|Nov record high F = 89
|Dec record high F = 75

|Jan avg record high F = 66.2
|Feb avg record high F = 70.9
|Mar avg record high F = 75.9
|Apr avg record high F = 84.2
|May avg record high F = 88.6
|Jun avg record high F = 93.6
|Jul avg record high F = 93.3
|Aug avg record high F = 92.4
|Sep avg record high F = 91.5
|Oct avg record high F = 86.9
|Nov avg record high F = 74.4
|Dec avg record high F = 65.8
|year avg record high F = 97.9

|Jan high F = 57.8
|Feb high F = 60.7
|Mar high F = 65.5
|Apr high F = 69.6
|May high F = 73.3
|Jun high F = 78.5
|Jul high F = 79.4
|Aug high F = 78.7
|Sep high F = 79.6
|Oct high F = 74.0
|Nov high F = 63.7
|Dec high F = 57.6
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 48.4
|Feb mean F = 51.0
|Mar mean F = 54.6
|Apr mean F = 57.4
|May mean F = 61.4
|Jun mean F = 65.6
|Jul mean F = 67.6
|Aug mean F = 67.0
|Sep mean F = 66.3
|Oct mean F = 61.2
|Nov mean F = 53.1
|Dec mean F = 48.1
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 39.0
|Feb low F = 41.3
|Mar low F = 43.6
|Apr low F = 45.3
|May low F = 49.5
|Jun low F = 52.7
|Jul low F = 55.7
|Aug low F = 55.3
|Sep low F = 53.0
|Oct low F = 48.4
|Nov low F = 42.5
|Dec low F = 38.6
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 30.6
|Feb avg record low F = 32.5
|Mar avg record low F = 35.1
|Apr avg record low F = 38.0
|May avg record low F = 41.6
|Jun avg record low F = 46.1
|Jul avg record low F = 48.6
|Aug avg record low F = 49.7
|Sep avg record low F = 46.1
|Oct avg record low F = 40.4
|Nov avg record low F = 33.5
|Dec avg record low F = 29.7
|year avg record low F = 28.1

|Jan record low F = 20
|Feb record low F = 20
|Mar record low F = 22
|Apr record low F = 31
|May record low F = 33
|Jun record low F = 40
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 44
|Sep record low F = 37
|Oct record low F = 32
|Nov record low F = 26
|Dec record low F = 20

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.95
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.18
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.19
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.97
|May precipitation inch = 0.44
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.10
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.00
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.03
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.07
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.64
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.60
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.95
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 10.0
|Feb precipitation days = 10.1
|Mar precipitation days = 8.2
|Apr precipitation days = 5.2
|May precipitation days = 2.5
|Jun precipitation days = 0.7
|Jul precipitation days = 0.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.2
|Sep precipitation days = 0.5
|Oct precipitation days = 2.5
|Nov precipitation days = 6.2
|Dec precipitation days = 9.7

|Jan snow inch =
|Feb snow inch =
|Mar snow inch =
|Apr snow inch =
|May snow inch =
|Jun snow inch =
|Jul snow inch =
|Aug snow inch =
|Sep snow inch =
|Oct snow inch =
|Nov snow inch =
|Dec snow inch =
|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days =
|Feb snow days =
|Mar snow days =
|Apr snow days =
|May snow days =
|Jun snow days =
|Jul snow days =
|Aug snow days =
|Sep snow days =
|Oct snow days =
|Nov snow days =
|Dec snow days =

|Jan snow depth inch =
|Feb snow depth inch =
|Mar snow depth inch =
|Apr snow depth inch =
|May snow depth inch =
|Jun snow depth inch =
|Jul snow depth inch =
|Aug snow depth inch =
|Sep snow depth inch =
|Oct snow depth inch =
|Nov snow depth inch =
|Dec snow depth inch =
|year snow depth inch =

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00046646&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Palo Alto, CA
|access-date = February 18, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = XMACIS2 (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)<ref name = XMACIS2>
{{cite web
|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = xmACIS2
|access-date = February 18, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}