Napa Valley in December
 

We have a time share and must use it before it expires in Feb 2011. We can only go in late Dec or earlyJan. Will the weather be ok or miserable? The only time share available is the World Mark Wine Country Resort Sonoma County. Has any one stayed there?

There is a VERY slight chance that the Silverado Resort and Spa might be available in late Jan or Feb. Any thoughts on that resort?

Nan,

I have had good luck logging on to weather underground, (wunderground.com) and using the travel planning tab.

That said, this winter will be dryer than usual because of the La Nina conditions,and you could have a week of clear cool weather. But, one of the reasons the Russian River Valley produces good wines is that it is an East-West Valley and the cool damp breezes come in from the Pacific, keeping the vines moist.

When I wanted to get some similar information for a valley farther north, I found the local television station on line, and called their meteorologist. She was far more courteous and helpful than I had any reason to expect, as a non-viewer imposing on her time.

Thank you very much Jeff.

anyone have experiences with world mark wine country resort somoma county (yes that's the full name!).

Have driven by and it looks like a very nice place,

I was in Napa yesterday, on the Silverado Trail. It was warm and sunny ... tank top weather.

Well...I live here and wouldn't call it tank top weather. The sun was out, though...but not today. You'll definitely need some warm clothing for evenings as we've had some very chilly nights. It is expected to rain for about the next week. In the past I would say our December/January days have been quite cold; lately it seems our weather is all over the map, so come prepared with various layers.
Where in Sonoma County is this resort you are talking about?

Now that's great to hear, just 27!


thanks boom_boom: Because we don't have much of a choice, as it's the only time share available for that week, it's good to know it looks good in real life too, not just from the pictures.

I'm not sure about that La Nina prediction. We've had a lot more rain so far this season than we've had in many recent years at this point. There's no way to predict.

Silverado is a nice choice if you can change your dates. The later the better as far as weather. When you say late Dec, are you talking about the week after Christmas? This is a busy week in the wine country. Lodging is at a premium and getting late bookings would be difficult.

For specific questions about a particular property, you might want to ask over on Tripadvisor or, at least, tag your posting here for California so it doesn't fall off the board so quickly.

hi elnap29, thanks for your info. the time share in located in Windsor. Any thoughts regarding this location would be helpful.

Otis, the time is Dec 18-26. We don't have a choice as far as dates or actual time share because it is the only one available for the rest of Dec.in the entire area. We are chosing to use the time share because it expires and we will lose the free week.

otis, also meant to add about Tripadvisor. I've not used them much so I didn't think about posting there. Will do that this evening. Thanks!

Latest weather forecaset is predicting a major storm coming in the weekend of the 18th, with heavy rain on Saturday. Be prepared with appropriate rain gear and boots if possible. If it's windy, umbrellas aren't much use.

Windsor will be more convenient to the wine country area near Healdsburg. However, you could still visit the Napa Valley, also. It will probably take about 40 min or so to get to Calistoga, which is the town at the far north end of the valley.

nanabee - we haven't stayed in this particular WorldMark property, but in general they are excellent. They stock the kitchen with an assortment of common spices and most things you'll need.

We're WorldMark members, so I checked out the forum and found that the reviews are very favorable for this property - large resort, clean & inviting, nice units, outstanding staff, golf, bbq, pools, etc. One comment was from someone who is a regular but prefers the low season because it's quieter (that would be during your time).

You might be able to read the reviews yourself via this link: http://tinyurl.com/249jxxp

Hope that's useful.

The Silverado Resort is outstanding. I really had a great time there and look forward to a return visit again soon.