Petaluma weather is wonderful. Many would say that Monterey is cold and damp, the many wonderful things about it make up for that. Even here in SoCal you'll have many overcast days at the coast, with the marine layer, still it's very worth living there. Fallbrook is sub-tropical and we have many days in summer when I'd rather be at the coast with the overcast and all. Actually, I'm good with anything on the coast from here through British Columbia....
The inland areas, like Riverside, do have that smog...it backs up against the mountains and settles in. I spent early years in the San Joaquin and the air there is really bad now.
