If you’ve been watching the forecast for next week, you’ve probably seen the headlines.

Meteorologists are forecasting a powerful ridge of high pressure to build over the western United States, bringing what many refer to as a “heat dome.” Inland California could experience some of its hottest weather in several years, with parts of the Central Valley and desert expected to reach well above 100°F. Some desert communities, including Palm Springs, may exceed 120°F, while many inland locations are forecast to see temperatures between 105° and 113°. Forecast details will continue to evolve, but confidence is growing that this will be a significant heat event.

Meanwhile, here on the Mendocino Coast…

We’ll likely be reaching for a light jacket.

That’s one of the remarkable things about living on California’s North Coast. While communities just a couple of hours inland can swelter in triple-digit heat, the Pacific Ocean acts as an enormous natural air conditioner. Cold ocean water, coastal upwelling, and our familiar marine layer keep summer temperatures surprisingly comfortable.

It’s not unusual for someone to leave Sacramento or the Bay Area in 100-degree heat and arrive in Mendocino to find temperatures in the mid-60s, a cool breeze, and perhaps a bit of fog drifting through the redwoods.

For visitors, it’s a welcome escape.

For those considering making the coast home, it’s something more.

Climate is easy to overlook when shopping for a house. Kitchens can be remodeled. Flooring can be replaced. Landscaping changes with time. But the weather is one of the few things that comes with the property—and on days like these, it’s easy to appreciate just how valuable that can be.

Every summer I meet people who first discovered the Mendocino Coast simply because they wanted a weekend away from the heat. Some return year after year. Others eventually decide they’d rather experience July in a fleece than spend another afternoon hiding indoors with the air conditioning running full blast.

If next week’s forecast holds, it’ll be another reminder that one of the Mendocino Coast’s greatest luxuries isn’t extravagant at all.

Sometimes, it’s simply being comfortable.