Next 7 departures
- TueOct 13
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 47–69°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Los Angeles7 AM PDT Sunny55°F Tejon Pass8:15 AM PDT Mostly sunny47°F Lost Hills9:15 AM PDT Sunny55°F Kettleman City9:45 AM PDT Sunny55°F Panoche Junction10:30 AM PDT Sunny61°F Patterson11:30 AM PDT Sunny65°F Stockton12:15 PM PDT Sunny67°F Sacramento1 PM PDT Sunny69°F - WedOct 14
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 52–68°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Los Angeles7 AM PDT Sunny59°F Tejon Pass8:15 AM PDT Sunny52°F Lost Hills9:15 AM PDT Sunny56°F Kettleman City9:45 AM PDT Sunny56°F Panoche Junction10:30 AM PDT Sunny62°F Patterson11:30 AM PDT Sunny68°F Stockton12:15 PM PDT Sunny68°F Sacramento1 PM PDT Sunny68°F - ThuOct 15
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 49–75°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Los Angeles7 AM PDT Sunny59°F Tejon Pass8:15 AM PDT Sunny49°F Lost Hills9:15 AM PDT Sunny58°F Kettleman City9:45 AM PDT Sunny59°F Panoche Junction10:30 AM PDT Sunny65°F Patterson11:30 AM PDT Sunny70°F Stockton12:15 PM PDT Sunny72°F Sacramento1 PM PDT Sunny75°F - FriOct 16
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 57–79°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Los Angeles7 AM PDT Sunny66°F Tejon Pass8:15 AM PDT Sunny57°F Lost Hills9:15 AM PDT Sunny62°F Kettleman City9:45 AM PDT Sunny63°F Panoche Junction10:30 AM PDT Sunny69°F Patterson11:30 AM PDT Sunny76°F Stockton12:15 PM PDT Sunny78°F Sacramento1 PM PDT Sunny79°F - SatOct 17
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 57–80°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Los Angeles7 AM PDT Mostly sunny69°F Tejon Pass8:15 AM PDT Sunny57°F Lost Hills9:15 AM PDT Sunny67°F Kettleman City9:45 AM PDT Sunny68°F Panoche Junction10:30 AM PDT Sunny72°F Patterson11:30 AM PDT Sunny78°F Stockton12:15 PM PDT Sunny79°F Sacramento1 PM PDT Sunny80°F - SunOct 18
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 58–77°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Los Angeles7 AM PDT Sunny68°F Tejon Pass8:15 AM PDT Sunny58°F Lost Hills9:15 AM PDT Sunny66°F Kettleman City9:45 AM PDT Sunny67°F Panoche Junction10:30 AM PDT Sunny71°F Patterson11:30 AM PDT Sunny77°F Stockton12:15 PM PDT Sunny77°F Sacramento1 PM PDT Sunny77°F - MonOct 19
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 56–73°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Los Angeles7 AM PDT Mostly sunny67°F Tejon Pass8:15 AM PDT Sunny56°F Lost Hills9:15 AM PDT Sunny67°F Kettleman City9:45 AM PDT Sunny67°F Panoche Junction10:30 AM PDT Sunny68°F Patterson11:30 AM PDT Sunny72°F Stockton12:15 PM PDT Sunny73°F Sacramento1 PM PDT Sunny72°F
The worst conditions expected at any checkpoint, timed to when you would reach it driving without stops. Levels use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
The route, stop by stop
Checkpoints in order, with driving time from Los Angeles (no stops) and elevation. The forecast above is timed to these.
- Los Angeles, CAStart 284 ftelevation
- Tejon Pass, CAMountain pass · Mile 68 · 1 h 9 min 4,160 ftelevation
- Lost Hills, CAMile 144 · 2 h 18 min 303 ftelevation
- Kettleman City, CAMile 175 · 2 h 46 min 249 ftelevation
- Panoche Junction, CAMile 222 · 3 h 29 min 510 ftelevation
- Patterson, CAMile 297 · 4 h 36 min 100 ftelevation
- Stockton, CAMile 336 · 5 h 12 min 12 ftelevation
- Sacramento, CAMile 384 · 5 h 58 min 29 ftelevation
Typical weather by month
Average daily highs and lows, and days with an inch or more of snow, at Los Angeles, Tejon Pass and Sacramento.
| Month | Los Angeles 230 ft | Tejon Pass Sandberg station · 4,510 ft | Sacramento 38 ft | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High / low °F | High / low °F | High / low °F | Snow days | |
| Jan | 68° / 49° | 52° / 39° | 57° / 41° | 0 |
| Feb | 68° / 50° | 53° / 38° | 62° / 44° | 0 |
| Mar | 70° / 52° | 57° / 41° | 68° / 47° | 0 |
| Apr | 72° / 55° | 62° / 43° | 74° / 49° | 0 |
| May | 74° / 58° | 70° / 49° | 81° / 54° | 0 |
| Jun | 77° / 61° | 80° / 58° | 89° / 59° | 0 |
| Jul | 82° / 65° | 88° / 65° | 94° / 61° | 0 |
| Aug | 84° / 65° | 88° / 65° | 94° / 61° | 0 |
| Sep | 83° / 64° | 83° / 61° | 89° / 59° | 0 |
| Oct | 79° / 60° | 71° / 53° | 79° / 53° | 0 |
| Nov | 73° / 53° | 60° / 44° | 65° / 45° | 0 |
| Dec | 67° / 48° | 52° / 38° | 56° / 41° | 0 |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: LOS ANGELES DWTN USC CAMPUS (USW00093134, 230 ft); SANDBERG (USW00023187, 4,510 ft); SACRAMENTO 5 ESE (USW00023271, 38 ft). Snow days are days with at least 1 inch of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Road conditions
Closures and chain rules change by the hour, so we link to the official reports for California rather than repeat them.
- For this passCaltrans I-5 highway conditions
- California · CaltransQuickMap conditions and cameras
- California · winter rulesChain controls
Check the official National Weather Service forecast and each state's road report before you leave.
Get alerts timed to where you’ll be when you get there
Road Travel plans the drive from Los Angeles to Sacramento with the forecast at every stretch for the hour you’ll reach it, then warns you about weather ahead while you drive.
Questions about this drive
How long is the drive from Los Angeles to Sacramento?
384 miles, about 6 hours of driving without stops, by way of I-5. Fuel, food and rest stops add to that.
What is the highest point on the drive?
Tejon Pass, at 4,160 ft. It comes at mile 68, about 1 h 9 min of driving after you leave Los Angeles.
How cold is Tejon Pass in January?
The nearest long-term NOAA station, Sandberg (4,510 ft), averages a high of 52°F and a low of 39°F in January (1991–2020 normals).
How cold is Sacramento in January?
Sacramento averages a high of 57°F and a low of 41°F in January (1991–2020 normals).