We get lots of questions about "chilling hours" -- the number of hours between 32F and 45F that deciduous fruit trees need in order to break dormancy and flower properly. You will often see the number of hours that a particular variety needs printed right on the label; e.g., Elberta Peach 800 hours. Gardeners in the Bay Area and Southern California may not get sufficient chilling for many varieties, and need to inquire locally about which are recommended for their area.
I've attached an image showing the 15-year trend in chilling for Davis, Ca. Note that the first year shown (1995-96) was unusually low. Chilling hours in the Davis area typically range from 800 - 1000, allowing us to grow nearly any fruit variety available.
For the chilling hours in your area, check this website which shows weather stations all over California:
http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/chillcalc/index1.htm
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