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Shaded-relief map of Princeton, California: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
CALIFORNIA · COLUSA COUNTY

Princeton

309 people, 90 ft above sea level in Colusa County.

90 ftElevation, city center
309People, 2024 estimate
1 sq miLand area
Sunny 61°
Sunny now Dew point 49° · SSW 3 mph · high 65°
City of Princeton River Interstate 2 miles
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The Princeton plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Princeton

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 10:00 AM PST
RIGHT NOW Beale Air Force Base (KBAB) · 11:55 AM
Sunny
61° Sunny Feels like 61° · high of 65° near 2 PM
WindSSW 3 mphno gusts
Humidity65%falling to 54% this afternoon
Pressure29.98 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 49° · Dry38° by Tuesday: drier air arrives
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Tomorrow, about 1 PMin about 25 hours · 100% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT1.4–2 inmost likely 1.8; 1 in 10 over 2.3
LAST RAINOct. 230.03 in · 22 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Colusa County
NWS Sacramento and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 12:15 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:50 AM4:54 PM ↓
10 h 3 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
23
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
rain
rain
rain
rain
rain
rain
rain
showers day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
62°
48°
60°
48°
59°
38°
CHANCE OF RAIN
100% · 0.88 in Sunday evening 50%
WIND, MPH
6
5
6
5
6
8
12
15
14
9
8
5
6
6
5
3
5
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 38 to 53°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 80° / 62°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
65° 45°
0% rain — S 6 A
SUN Nov. 15 Showers likely Showers likely
61° 46°
100% rain 1.4–2.0″ SSE 13 C
MON Nov. 16 Showers likely Showers likely
60° 37°
80% rain up to 0.3″ SE 3 B
TUE Nov. 17 Chance of showers Chance of showers
58° 41°
50% rain up to 0.1″ S 6 A
WED Nov. 18 Showers likely Showers likely
54° 41°
100% rain 1.0–1.8″ SSE 18, gusts 32 B
THU Nov. 19 Showers likely Showers likely
56° 37°
80% rain 0.06–1.3″ SE 9 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 36°
20% rain — S 3 B
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Princeton about 5,000 feet above the ground was over southern California three days ago, and over the California coast a day ago, about 620 miles back along its path. Most of the nine paths traced from around the city agree. Near the ground the air came from the California coast; at 10,000 feet, from the Mojave Desert. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK, SIX YEARS AGO Nov. 15, 2020

The coldest this week has been

22° on Nov. 15, 2020, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1948. Next is 24° in 1958.

24°
22°
19582020
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Colusa 2 SSW record since 1948.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Princeton stands on

Princeton’s center stands about 90 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 60 ft to 100 ft, a difference of 40 ft: nearly flat ground.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Quaternary alluvium and marine deposits (coarse-detrital), from the Pleistocene to Holocene, less than 2.6 million years old.

Princeton, cut in half from northwest to southeast

A section northwest to southeast, 24 miles through the town center
100 ft PRINCETON90 ftWillow Creekabout 110 ftLow point50 ft ← NW · WillowsSE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 64×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

Quaternary alluvium and marine deposits

Coarse-detrital. Age: Pleistocene to Holocene, less than 2.6 million years old. About 24 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where Princeton’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Princeton reaches San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean by way of Bounde Creek, the Colusa Basin Drainage Canal and the Sacramento: about 140 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Princeton≈ 140 mi · San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean
FROM THE CENTER OF PRINCETON ≈ 140 mi to San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean Bounde Creek → Colusa Basin Drainage Canal → Sacramento

85 miles of the trip are on the Sacramento.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of Princeton; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Princeton’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1948 · Colusa 2 SSW, 15 mi south

Princeton has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. Summer afternoons average 92° in July; winter nights fall to about 38° in January. About 17 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

55°38°60°41°66°44°73°46°81°53°88°59°92°60°92°58°89°54°79°48°64°42°54°38° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 TODAY PRINCETON 17.2 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month
July, average92° / 60°high / low, the warmest month
January, average55° / 38°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year17.2 inwettest months: January and December
Hottest on record114°FSeptember 7, 2022
Coldest on record14°FDecember 16, 2022
Wettest day on record3.56 inFebruary 2, 1998
Snowiest day on record3.6 inJanuary 19, 1949
90° days a year84about 13 of them 100° or more
Nights at or below 32°16a year, on average
Climate typeHot-summer MediterraneanKöppen Csa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Nov. 28, to the last in spring, about Feb. 9 (median dates)
2Highs of 90° and upJune 21 to Sept. 15; normal highs reach 90°
3Wettest stretchDecember through February: 9.7 of the year’s 17.2 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Princeton normally reaches 65° and falls to 42°. The record high is 77°, in 2013; the record low 26°, in 2024. The most rain on this date, 1.35 in, fell in 1953.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high55°60°66°73°81°88°92°92°89°79°64°54°
Normal low38°41°44°46°53°59°60°58°54°48°42°38°
Rain, inches3.582.972.191.000.840.510.010.030.110.871.913.17
Record high78° (1962)81° (2022)92° (2026)98° (2009)106° (1984)112° (1961)112° (1972)113° (1978)114° (2022)105° (2001)88° (1955)76° (1967)
Record low18° (2025)20° (2020)25° (1976)24° (2024)31° (2020)34° (2023)35° (2007)42° (2020)34° (2021)20° (2021)22° (2020)14° (2022)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Colusa 2 SSW, 15 miles south. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Princeton on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Chico CA · 27 MI 27 miles northeast Yuba City CA · 28 MI 28 miles southeast Sacramento CA · 65 MI 65 miles southeast Stockton CA · 106 MI 106 miles south Oakland CA · 113 MI 113 miles south Reno NV · 116 MI 116 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Princeton, California. Explore the plate
CALIFORNIA · COLUSA

Princeton

309 people, 90 ft above sea level in Colusa County.

90 ftElevation
309People
1 sq miLand
Sunny 61°
SunnyDew point 49°
1

Today in Princeton

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 62° 0%
3p partly cloudy day 65° 0%
6p partly cloudy night 54° 1%
9p mostly cloudy night 50° 1%
12a mostly cloudy night 50° 1%
3a mostly cloudy night 49° 2%
Rain
NEXT RAINTomorrow about 1 PM · 100%
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
45
65
A
Sun100%
Showers likely Showers likely
46
61
C
Mon80%
Showers likely Showers likely
37
60
B
Tue50%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
41
58
A
Wed100%
Showers likely Showers likely
41
54
B
Thu80%
Showers likely Showers likely
37
56
B
Fri20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
36
59
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, SIX YEARS AGO · NOV. 15, 2020

22°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1948.

2

What Princeton stands on

Princeton’s center stands about 90 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 60 ft to 100 ft, a difference of 40 ft: nearly flat ground.

Princeton, northwest to southeast Princeton90 ftWillow Creekabout 110 ft ← NWSE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center90 ft
Within 3 miles60 to 100 ft
Lie of the landNearly flat (40 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceQuaternary alluvium and marine deposits
Its agePleistocene to Holocene, less than 2.6 million years old
5

Princeton’s year

Princeton has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. Summer afternoons average 92° in July; winter nights fall to about 38° in January. About 17 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 17.2 in
July, average92° / 60° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average55° / 38° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year17.2 in · wettest months: January and December
Hottest on record114°F · September 7, 2022
Coldest on record14°F · December 16, 2022
Wettest day on record3.56 in · February 2, 1998
Snowiest day on record3.6 in · January 19, 1949
90° days a year84 · about 13 of them 100° or more
Nights at or below 32°16 · a year, on average
Climate typeHot-summer Mediterranean · Köppen Csa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Nov. 28, to the last in spring, about Feb. 9 (median dates)
2Highs of 90° and up · June 21 to Sept. 15; normal highs reach 90°
3Wettest stretch · December through February: 9.7 of the year’s 17.2 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Princeton normally reaches 65° and falls to 42°. The record high is 77°, in 2013; the record low 26°, in 2024. The most rain on this date, 1.35 in, fell in 1953.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Colusa 2 SSW, 15 miles south. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 140 mito the PacificBounde Creek → Colusa Basin Drainage Canal → Sacramento

A raindrop that lands in Princeton reaches San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean by way of Bounde Creek, the Colusa Basin Drainage Canal and the Sacramento: about 140 river miles.

85 miles of the trip are on the Sacramento.