Editing Redding, California (section)

== Geography ==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|61.2|sqmi|km2|abbr=off|sp=us}}. {{convert|59.6|sqmi|km2|sp=us}} of it is land, and {{convert|1.5|sqmi|km2|sp=us}} of it (2.50%) is beneath water.

Redding is located at the very northwestern end of the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]], which transitions into the [[Cascade Range|Cascade foothills]]. The city is surrounded by mountains to the north, east, and west and fertile farm land to the south. Outermost parts of the city are part of the Cascade foothills, whereas southern and central areas are in the [[Sacramento Valley]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}

The elevation in Redding is {{convert|495|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} on average, whereas anywhere to the north, east, or west of downtown ranges between {{convert|550|and|800|ft|m|sp=us}}. Southern portions range between {{convert|400|and|500|ft|m|sp=us}}.

The [[Shasta Dam]] on the [[Sacramento River]] provides a considerable level of flood protection for Redding. The dam is capable of controlling flows up to 79,000 cubic feet (7,300 cubic meters) per second. The flow rate exceeded this threshold in both 1970 and 1974.<ref>''Environmental Impact Report for the Redding Redevelopment Plan'', Earth Metrics, City of Redding and California State Clearinghouse Report (1990)</ref>

Soils in and around town are composed mostly of clay or gravelly loam texture, with red or brown mineral horizons. They are slightly or moderately acidic in their natural state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx |title=Web Soil Survey |website=Websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov |access-date=February 28, 2016 |archive-date=March 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302004416/http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are several [[rare species|rare]] and [[endangered species]] in Redding and its immediate vicinity. The Redding Redevelopment Plan EIR notes the California State listed endangered species, slender Orcutt grass (''[[Orcuttia tenuis]]''), occurs in eastern Redding near the municipal airport, where [[vernal pool]]s are known to exist. This [[endemism|endemic]] grass is a Federal Candidate for listing and is endangered throughout its range, confined to several populations, and seriously threatened by [[agriculture]], [[overgrazing]], and residential development. Vernal pools provide the preferred habitat for this plant, which the [[California Native Plant Society]] considers a rare and endangered species. These same vernal pools also support federally protected species such as the [https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=K03G federally threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi)].

=== Climate ===
[[File:Redding, California 6959156824 o.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Sacramento River]] passes through Redding.]]
[[File:ShastaCountyJail 05 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|View of Redding]]
Redding has a [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen]]: Csa), with very hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Redding is known for very high summer temperatures, despite being located north of the [[40th parallel north]]. The somewhat strange juxtaposition of its northern position within the United States and non-desert climate, with the extreme summer heat, has long been noted by visitors and residents.<ref name="j472">{{cite book |last=Rocca |first=A.M. |last2=Society |first2=S.H. |title=Redding |publisher=Arcadia |series=Images of America |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7385-2934-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a3UCq48qw-kC&pg=PA36 |access-date=July 21, 2024 |page=36 }}</ref> The exceptional temperatures found in the city are often cited in national news sources.<ref name="z182">{{cite web |last=Sistek |first=Scott |title=Historic heat wave toppling all-time temperature records in the West |publisher=Fox Weather |date=July 5, 2024 |url=https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/historic-heat-wave-set-topple-all-time-temperature-records-west |access-date=July 29, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="p784">{{cite web |last=Berardelli |first=Jeff |title=Another record-breaking heat wave is building in the West |website=CBS News |date=September 3, 2020 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/labor-day-weekend-heat-wave-forcast-western-united-states/ |access-date=July 29, 2024 |archive-date=July 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240729231503/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/labor-day-weekend-heat-wave-forcast-western-united-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="q419">{{cite web |title=The West sizzled in a September heat wave, closing... |website=UPI |date=September 5, 1988 |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/09/05/The-West-sizzled-in-a-September-heat-wave-closing/7868589435200/ |access-date=July 29, 2024 }}</ref>

Winter (October–April) provides the most precipitation of any season in Redding—the weather tends to be either rainy or foggy and at times, snow occurs. While summers are mostly hot and dry, thunderstorms are not uncommon. The average daily maximum temperature in July stays near {{convert|100|°F|°C|1}}. The highest official recorded temperature in Redding is {{convert|119|°F|0}} on July 6, 2024.<ref name="NOWData NWS Sacramento, CA (STO)"/> Redding has an average possible sunshine of 88%, the second-highest percentage (after [[Yuma, Arizona]]) of any US city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/pctposrank.txt |title=NOAA |website=noaa.gov |access-date=November 19, 2017 |archive-date=May 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522235037/https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/pctposrank.txt |url-status=live }}</ref>

Summer overnight lows are unusually warm by Sacramento Valley standards and on average warmer than coastal towns' daytime highs. The warmest night annually averages {{convert|79|F|C}}.<ref name="NOWData NWS Sacramento, CA (STO)"/> Since the station opened in 1986, the hottest night was {{convert|86|F|C}} in June 2004.<ref name="NOWData NWS Sacramento, CA (STO)"/> Redding's warm summer days and nights compared to areas further south are a result of a greater distance to maritime influences than the lower end of the valley.

Redding occasionally receives snow, though it has received as much as {{convert|23|in|cm|abbr=off|sp=us}} of snow in a single storm, occurring on December 4&ndash;7, 1909 and December 22&ndash;24, 1968, including {{cvt|16|in|cm}} on December 23, 1968, the most in any calendar day on record.<ref name="NOWData NWS Sacramento, CA (STO)"/> It rarely gets sleet or freezing rain. Frost occurs commonly in December through February, less often in March or November. In spring, rain is common. The city is located near the foothills of the Cascade and Klamath mountain ranges and it therefore gets much more rain than most places in the Sacramento Valley. The Northern parts of the city can get up to a few more inches of rain a year due to its closer location to the mountains; temperature differentials between land and sea cause moist air from the latter to flow over the southern Sacramento valley during the summer months, producing intense heat in Redding. The direction of this winds switches from the north and east in the summer, as hot, high-pressure air flows from land to sea, making the area very dry. Tornadoes are extremely rare; flooding occurs only around the area near the Sacramento River. The coldest temperature recorded in Redding was {{convert|16|°F|0}} on January 17, 2012, and December 9, 2009.<ref name="NOWData NWS Sacramento, CA (STO)"/> The average coldest daytime high of the year is {{convert|41|F|C}} and the lowest on record is {{convert|29|F|C}} in 1990, which remains the latest year to record an ice day.<ref name="NOWData NWS Sacramento, CA (STO)"/>

{{Weather box
| location = [[Redding Municipal Airport|Redding Regional Airport]], California (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1893–present{{efn|Records for Redding observed at:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/ |title=Threaded Station Extremes |access-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-date=March 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305195121/http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Redding Weather Service Office, January 1893&ndash;April 1929
* [[Benton Field]], May 1929&ndash;July 1944
* Two differing fire stations, August 1944&ndash;August 1986
* Redding Regional Airport since September 1986}})
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 87
| Feb record high F = 87
| Mar record high F = 93
| Apr record high F = 98
| May record high F = 109
| Jun record high F = 117
| Jul record high F = 119
| Aug record high F = 118
| Sep record high F = 116
| Oct record high F = 106
| Nov record high F = 99
| Dec record high F = 83
| Jan avg record high F = 70.5
| Feb avg record high F = 74.3
| Mar avg record high F = 80.7
| Apr avg record high F = 88.0
| May avg record high F = 97.4
| Jun avg record high F = 106.5
| Jul avg record high F = 110.5
| Aug avg record high F = 108.2
| Sep avg record high F = 104.9
| Oct avg record high F = 94.9
| Nov avg record high F = 79.8
| Dec avg record high F = 68.9
| year avg record high F = 112.0
| Jan high F = 57.2
| Feb high F = 61.0
| Mar high F = 65.7
| Apr high F = 71.8
| May high F = 82.0
| Jun high F = 91.9
| Jul high F = 99.9
| Aug high F = 98.1
| Sep high F = 92.3
| Oct high F = 79.4
| Nov high F = 64.4
| Dec high F = 56.0
| year high F = 76.6
| Jan mean F = 47.5
| Feb mean F = 50.5
| Mar mean F = 54.4
| Apr mean F = 59.4
| May mean F = 68.2
| Jun mean F = 77.1
| Jul mean F = 83.4
| Aug mean F = 81.0
| Sep mean F = 75.3
| Oct mean F = 64.8
| Nov mean F = 52.9
| Dec mean F = 46.6
| year mean F = 63.4
| Jan low F = 37.7
| Feb low F = 40.1
| Mar low F = 43.2
| Apr low F = 47.0
| May low F = 54.3
| Jun low F = 62.4
| Jul low F = 67.0
| Aug low F = 63.9
| Sep low F = 58.2
| Oct low F = 50.2
| Nov low F = 41.5
| Dec low F = 37.2
| year low F = 50.2
| Jan avg record low F = 27.0
| Feb avg record low F = 28.8
| Mar avg record low F = 32.0
| Apr avg record low F = 34.5
| May avg record low F = 42.6
| Jun avg record low F = 51.3
| Jul avg record low F = 58.0
| Aug avg record low F = 56.1
| Sep avg record low F = 48.9
| Oct avg record low F = 39.1
| Nov avg record low F = 29.7
| Dec avg record low F = 25.7
| year avg record low F = 23.5
| Jan record low F = 16
| Feb record low F = 20
| Mar record low F = 27
| Apr record low F = 28
| May record low F = 31
| Jun record low F = 38
| Jul record low F = 48
| Aug record low F = 44
| Sep record low F = 39
| Oct record low F = 29
| Nov record low F = 21
| Dec record low F = 16
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 6.04
| Feb precipitation inch = 5.48
| Mar precipitation inch = 4.62
| Apr precipitation inch = 2.41
| May precipitation inch = 1.81
| Jun precipitation inch = 0.75
| Jul precipitation inch = 0.07
| Aug precipitation inch = 0.13
| Sep precipitation inch = 0.45
| Oct precipitation inch = 1.92
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.53
| Dec precipitation inch = 6.31
| year precipitation inch = 33.52
| Jan snow inch = 1.1
| Feb snow inch = 0.8
| Mar snow inch = 0.0
| Apr snow inch = 0.0
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.0
| Nov snow inch = 0.0
| Dec snow inch = 0.7
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 12.2
| Feb precipitation days = 10.9
| Mar precipitation days = 11.7
| Apr precipitation days = 8.1
| May precipitation days = 6.1
| Jun precipitation days = 2.9
| Jul precipitation days = 0.5
| Aug precipitation days = 0.6
| Sep precipitation days = 1.4
| Oct precipitation days = 4.7
| Nov precipitation days = 8.8
| Dec precipitation days = 12.6
| year precipitation days = 80.6
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 0.4
| Feb snow days = 0.3
| Mar snow days = 0.0
| Apr snow days = 0.0
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.0
| Nov snow days = 0.0
| Dec snow days = 0.1
| source 1 = NOAA<ref name="NOWData NWS Sacramento, CA (STO)">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sto |title=NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data |website=W2.weather.gov |access-date=July 16, 2020 |archive-date=June 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627154631/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sto |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00024257&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: Redding MUNI AP, CA |access-date=February 24, 2023 |archive-date=February 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224151545/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00024257&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |url-status=live }}</ref>
| source 2 = WRCC<ref name="Western Regional Climate Center">{{cite web |url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca7304 |title=Western Regional Climate Center Data |website=wrcc.dri.edu |access-date=September 18, 2022 |archive-date=August 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812213909/https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca7304 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| source = 
}}