Arcata weather in April

In April, Arcata sees average daytime highs of 55°F and overnight lows near 44°F, with 4.4 in of precipitation across 11.8 wet days and about 13.1 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 53°F in the first days to 56°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of April to 13 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Arcata's 7th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Arcata's year-round climate.

Daytime high
55°
7th warmest
Overnight low
44°
5th coldest
Precipitation
4.4 in
11.8 wet days
Daylight
13 h 06 min
5:44 AM – 6:49 PM
Cloud cover
61%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.3
out of 10

Arcata is city in Humboldt County, California, United States.

Density
627/km²
people per km²
Founded
1858

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 53°F in the first days to 56°F by the end.

A typical April day in Arcata reaches about 55°F in the afternoon and slips back to 44°F overnight — a 11°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 48°F and 62°F. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 2°F warmer than March and about 4°F cooler than May.

30°40°50°60°70°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15342
25342
35342
45342
55342
65343
75343
85343
95443
105443
115443
125443
135443
145443
155443
165444
175544
185544
195544
205544
215544
225544
235644
245644
255644
265645
275645
285645
295645
305645

Arcata weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 7th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan51° / 41°8.615.41.89.42.2
Feb52° / 41°7.113.12.410.42.4
Mar53° / 42°7.414.72.711.72.6
Apr55° / 44°4.411.8113.13.3
May58° / 47°2.47.20.114.24.7
Jun62° / 50°1.03.8014.96.3
Jul66° / 53°0.10.8014.68.0
Aug67° / 53°0.20.9013.68.1
Sep66° / 52°0.72.5012.37.7
Oct61° / 48°3.26.4010.95.9
Nov55° / 44°6.212.30.59.73.2
Dec50° / 40°10.115.41.79.12.1

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 57%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23862
33763
43763
53862
63862
73961
83862
93862
103961
113961
124060
134060
144060
154159
164159
174357
184357
194357
204555
214555
224654
234753
244753
254852
264852
275050
285050
295149
305248

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitationSnow

Arcata gets around 4.4 in of rain and snow over 11.8 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 40% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202530
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1446
2446
3446
4446
5446
6456
7455
8455
9465
10465
11464
12464
13454
14453
15443
16433
17423
18412
19402
20382
21372
22361
23341
24331
25321
26311
27301
28291
29280
30270

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of April feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, April lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100

Wind in April

Winds average 7 mph in April.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of April to 13 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 78 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 6:09 AM to 5:23 AM, and sunset from 6:33 PM to 7:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:096:33
212.56:076:34
312.56:056:35
412.56:046:36
512.66:026:37
612.66:006:39
712.75:596:40
812.75:576:41
912.85:556:42
1012.85:546:43
1112.95:526:44
1212.95:506:45
1313.05:496:46
1413.05:476:47
1513.05:466:48
1613.15:446:49
1713.15:426:50
1813.25:416:51
1913.25:396:52
2013.35:386:53
2113.35:366:55
2213.45:356:56
2313.45:336:57
2413.45:326:58
2513.55:306:59
2613.55:297:00
2713.65:277:01
2813.65:267:02
2913.65:257:03
3013.75:237:04

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 5.43 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.65 kWh/m² to a high of 7.82 kWh/m² in July across the year — April's 5.43 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
65.0Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.6Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.9Bright
266.0Bright
276.0Intense
286.1Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
Planning a trip in April

Hazard calendar for Arcata

In seasonPeak

None of Arcata's seasonal hazards are active in April. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Arcata's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is April a good time to visit Arcata?

Our two travel scores rate April for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.3
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

April is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Arcata.

What to pack for Arcata in April

From April's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In April, Arcata sees daytime highs around 55°F and nights near 44°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Arcata in April

The nearest coast averages about 52°F in April — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 55°F and coldest in March near 51°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

50°52°54°56°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan52Bracing
Feb52Bracing
Mar51Bracing
Apr52Bracing
May52Bracing
Jun53Bracing
Jul54Bracing
Aug55Bracing
Sep55Bracing
Oct54Bracing
Nov53Bracing
Dec53Bracing

UV index in Arcata in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Arcata peaks around June 21 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 9Dec 15UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep5High
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec2Low

Air quality in Arcata in April

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where April falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Arcata is worst in September — around 116 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 23.7× the cleanest month (January, 5 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodUnhealthyGoodSep 12110 µg/m³Jan 15 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb7Good
Mar7Good
Apr7Good
May6Good
Jun6Good
Jul12Good
Aug85Unhealthy
Sep116Unhealthy
Oct16Moderate
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Arcata?

Arcata sits at 40.9°N, 124.1°W, 23 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Bayside, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Arcata

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Arcata.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Arcata has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,191 ft around an average of 157 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,690 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,415 ft.

The land around Arcata is covered by trees (40%) and grassland (29%) within 2 miles, trees (55%) and water (29%) within 10 miles, and trees (67%) and water (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,191 ft
10 miles
2,690 ft
50 miles
7,415 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
April weather nearby: Bayside 1.9 mi · McKinleyville 5.6 mi · Eureka 6.2 mi · Redding 91 mi · Grants Pass 116 mi · Ashland 116 mi · Medford 119 mi · Central Point 121 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Arcata (40.8665°, -124.0828°, elevation 23 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).