Sunday, December 19, 2010

here we go again

I was awoken (awakened?) by the sound of heavy, wind-whipped rain beating against my sliding glass door, so I thought I would check current weather conditions. A wide swath of moderate to occasional heavy rain is streaming over the Sacramento valley currently. This is courtesy of a second cold front pushing through the region, which will also bring gusty winds. The National Weather Service has posted another Wind Advisory for the area beginning at 8 am this morning and ending at 4 pm this afternoon. The Flood Advisory is still in effect until 1:45 pm today for small stream and urban flooding. Looking ahead towards the upcoming week, it looks like rain will stick around, exacerbating the flood potential. If you live near a creek or stream, especially in the valley, keep an eye on those water levels and be prepared to move to safer ground. Meanwhile, a Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the Sierra Nevada and Lassen Volcanic Park area through tomorrow afternoon. Elevations above 7000 feet (that's you, Lake Tahoe) could get over eight feet of snow (yes, you read correctly; that's not a typo), while the areas around Lassen Park could see 2-3 feet of snow down to around 5000 feet. This is good news, as we need this snowpack to provide us with water for the dry summer months ahead. Here's the soggy forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Today: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 56. South wind between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 43. South southeast wind between 10 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Monday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 51. South southeast wind between 17 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Monday Night: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southeast wind around 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Tuesday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 53. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Tuesday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 42. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Wednesday: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 54. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Wednesday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Thursday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Friday: A slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 54.

Friday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Christmas Day: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.

Be safe and stay dry!

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