The temperate climate has four distinct seasons. Spring can be a mad mix of brilliant sun and rain, which means colorful blossoms abound. Summers are humid and have been quite hot in the last years, rivaling some Asian nations; evening thunderstorms are frequent. Fall becomes crisp around the end of October and winter brings a low fog ceiling (this is when locals head for any nearby peak over 5,000 feet) or light-to-slushy snow that tends to melt after a week or so.