Barometric Pressure Forecast for Redding, California
Barometric pressure forecast for Redding, California — at the closed north end of the Sacramento Valley, ringed by mountains and famous for heat and wind. See current barometric pressure and what it means for weather-sensitive people.
Download Pressure Pal to track barometric pressure and get migraine alerts for Redding and your area.
Pressure and weather in Redding
Redding sits where the Sacramento Valley narrows and closes off, with the Klamath Mountains to the west, the southern Cascades and Mount Shasta to the north and the Sierra foothills to the east. Being enclosed on three sides has two consequences. In summer the valley acts as a heat trap, and Redding regularly ranks among the hottest cities in the United States, with a deep afternoon thermal low pulling the surface barometer down day after day. In winter the same terrain funnels storms, and because the Klamath range forces moist Pacific flow abruptly upward, this is one of the wettest low-elevation places in California, with annual rainfall several times that of Sacramento two hours south. Atmospheric river events here bring large current barometric pressure falls, days of rain and serious runoff into the Sacramento River. The valley's other signature is the north wind, a dry downslope flow that develops when high pressure builds over the Great Basin and air accelerates south through the valley's narrow neck, heating and drying as it descends and creating the region's most dangerous fire weather. A barometric pressure forecast for Redding matters most from November through March, with north wind events peaking in late summer and autumn.
What this means for you
Can barometric pressure cause headaches? North wind events bring rising pressure with very low humidity while atmospheric rivers bring falling pressure with saturation, and Redding delivers both in the same year. Use Pressure Pal as a headache tracking app and compare the two directly.