Editing Watsonville, California (section)

==Geography==
[[Image:Watsonville California aerial view.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of Watsonville (left) and the [[Pajaro River]] (right).]]
Watsonville is in the Monterey Bay area, at the southern end of [[Santa Cruz County, California|Santa Cruz County]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.watsonville.ca.us|title=City of Watsonville|website=Ci.watsonville.ca.us}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|6.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|6.7|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}} is water.

Watsonville has habitat areas that support the [[endangered species]] [[Santa Cruz Tarweed]] on the [[California coastal prairie]] ecosystem. Population has grown considerably since 1980, requiring preparation of a number of [[Environmental Impact Report]]s, with resultant development removing certain lands of the city from productive natural habitat.

Most of the coastal land adjacent to Watsonville is part of the [[Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary]]. Another protected natural resource is the Watsonville [[wetlands]], a system of fresh water [[slough (hydrology)|sloughs]] with open water and native vegetation that extend from the city to the ocean. The slough system is only one of a few remaining wetland areas of its kind in the California Coastal Region. Not only are the wetlands home to approximately nine species of fish and over 200 species of waterfowl, raptors and songbirds;<ref>{{cite web|title=The Watsonville Sloughs|url=http://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/sloughs.htm|website=Watsonville Wetlands Watch|access-date=April 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622050248/http://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/sloughs.htm|archive-date=June 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Wildlife|url=http://wetlandsofwatsonville.org/wildlife.html|website=Wetlands of Watsonville|access-date=April 8, 2011|archive-date=July 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728174448/http://www.wetlandsofwatsonville.org/wildlife.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> they are also a vital stop on the Pacific Flyway for thousands of migrating birds. In 1990, private and municipal organizations worked together to stop development and protect this resource.<ref>Santa Cruz Sentinel: "Conservation victory for Watsonville sloughs", September 22, 2009</ref> The Watsonville Wetlands Watch was established at that time with the task of restoring and protecting the slough's natural habit.<ref>Busch, Jerry. "Watching Watsonville Wetlands". Self-published by Watsonville Wetlands watch, Freedom, California.  {{ISBN|0-9679463-0-1}}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:California Route 1 Highway - Sunset Beach and Park near Watsonville - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sunset State Beach]]]]
The [[National Weather Service]] cooperative station at the Watsonville Waterworks reports cool, relatively wet winters and mild, dry summers. Fog and low overcast is common in the night and morning, especially in the summer, when warmer air from inland areas mixes with the cool, moist air near Monterey Bay. Its Köppen classification is cool-summer [[mediterranean climate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=374940&cityname=Watsonville%2C+California%2C+United+States+of+America&units=metric|title=Watsonville, California Climate Summary|publisher=Weatherbase|access-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref>

January, normally the coldest month, has an average maximum of {{cvt|59.9|°F}} and an average minimum of {{cvt|38.5|°F}}. September, normally the warmest month, has an average maximum of {{cvt|73.2|°F}} and an average minimum of {{cvt|51.7|°F}}. There are an average of 4.9 days annually with highs of {{cvt|90|°F}} or higher and an average of 13.5 days annually with lows of {{cvt|32|°F}} or lower. Cool nights are common in the summer, due to the influence of chilly Monterey Bay. The record high temperature from the late 20th century onward was {{cvt|106|°F}} on October 2, 1980. (An earlier June day has been recorded as {{cvt|110|°F}}.) The record low temperature from the late 20th century onward was {{cvt|12|°F}} on December 22, 1990, though a {{cvt|2|°F}} low was previously recorded.

Average annual rainfall is {{convert|22.42|in}}, with measurable precipitation falling on an average of 61 days each year. The wettest year on record was 1983, with {{convert|48.35|in}}, and the driest was 1976, with {{convert|10.66|in}}. The most rainfall in one month was {{convert|15.99|in}} in February 1998. The most rainfall in 24 hours was {{convert|5.93|in}} on February 14, 2000. Although significant snowfall occurs several times a year on the higher mountains nearby, measurable snowfall is a rarity along Monterey Bay.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/Climsmcca.html|title=Central California|website=Wrcc.dri.edu}}</ref> On February 26, 2011, there was slight snowfall in Watsonville, but there was so little snow that it could not be measured.

{{Weather box|location = Watsonville
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 27.8
|Feb record high C = 29.4
|Mar record high C = 35.0
|Apr record high C = 38.3
|May record high C = 37.2
|Jun record high C = 43.3
|Jul record high C = 40.6
|Aug record high C = 40.6
|Sep record high C = 40.6
|Oct record high C = 41.1
|Nov record high C = 33.9
|Dec record high C = 28.9
|year record high C = 43.3
|Jan high C = 15.7
|Feb high C = 17.0
|Mar high C = 18.0
|Apr high C = 19.3
|May high C = 20.3
|Jun high C = 21.8
|Jul high C = 21.8
|Aug high C = 22.0
|Sep high C = 22.9
|Oct high C = 22.2
|Nov high C = 19.5
|Dec high C = 16.2
|year high C = 19.7
|Jan mean C = 9.6
|Feb mean C = 10.9
|Mar mean C = 11.8
|Apr mean C = 13.0
|May mean C = 14.3
|Jun mean C = 15.8
|Jul mean C = 16.3
|Aug mean C = 16.6
|Sep mean C = 16.6
|Oct mean C = 15.1
|Nov mean C = 12.4
|Dec mean C = 9.8
|year mean C = 13.5
|Jan low C = 3.4
|Feb low C = 4.8
|Mar low C = 5.6
|Apr low C = 6.7
|May low C = 8.3
|Jun low C = 9.8
|Jul low C = 10.8
|Aug low C = 11.1
|Sep low C = 10.3
|Oct low C = 8.1
|Nov low C = 5.2
|Dec low C = 3.4
|year low C = 7.3
|Jan record low C = -16.7
|Feb record low C = -5.0
|Mar record low C = -4.4
|Apr record low C = -5.6
|May record low C = -3.3
|Jun record low C = -0.6
|Jul record low C = 0.0
|Aug record low C = -1.1
|Sep record low C = 0.0
|Oct record low C = -5.6
|Nov record low C = -5.6
|Dec record low C = -11.1
|year record low C = -16.7
|Jan precipitation mm = 115
|Feb precipitation mm = 100
|Mar precipitation mm = 77
|Apr precipitation mm = 38
|May precipitation mm = 12
|Jun precipitation mm = 4
|Jul precipitation mm = 1
|Aug precipitation mm = 1
|Sep precipitation mm = 8
|Oct precipitation mm = 25
|Nov precipitation mm = 61
|Dec precipitation mm = 107
|year precipitation mm = 548
|Jan precipitation days = 10
|Feb precipitation days = 9
|Mar precipitation days = 9
|Apr precipitation days = 5
|May precipitation days = 3
|Jun precipitation days = 1
|Jul precipitation days = 0
|Aug precipitation days = 1
|Sep precipitation days = 1
|Oct precipitation days = 4
|Nov precipitation days = 6
|Dec precipitation days = 9
|year precipitation days = 58
|source 1 = <ref name=Weatherbase.org>{{cite web |url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=374940&cityname=Watsonville-California-United-States-of-America&units=metric|title=Watsonville, California Temperature Averages|publisher=Weaterbase |access-date = June 2, 2015}}</ref>
}}