brief cooldown, then heat returns

Yesterday and today have been cooler than what Chico has seen recently, with highs yesterday in the lower 90s and today hovering in the upper 80s. Unfortunately, this will not last, as highs tomorrow through Labor Day will be in the mid 90s. By the middle of next week, high temps could reach 100 degrees! How odd that as we begin climatological autumn, we see some of the hottest temperatures so far this year. Here are the details for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 60. North northwest wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 93. North northwest wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 60. North wind around 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. North northwest wind around 7 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 62. North northwest wind around 6 mph becoming east northeast.

Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Labor Day: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98.

hot

That's the one word to describe Chico's weather the past four days, as high temps have climbed into the upper 90s. Today has been the hottest day of the past four, with a high temp of 99 degrees. We'll have one more hot day tomorrow, with highs again in the upper 90s, before temps cool down to the lower 90s beginning Tuesday (right where we should be for late August). This cooler weather should last into the Labor Day weekend. The weather will remain dry and sunny through next weekend. Here are the details for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 64. South wind between 5 and 8 mph becoming calm.

Monday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Light west wind.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. South southeast wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 64.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

hot and slightly humid today

A weak weather system is moving northeastward from the Pacific Ocean over northern California today. As that system moves into Oregon later this evening it may touch off some very isolated thundershowers over some of the higher elevations of the Northstate. Most of these storms, should they develop, will not have much rain with them. They will have plenty of lightning, which could set off some forest fires. Currently it is hot in Chico, with the present temperature at 96 degrees under partly cloudy skies. Dewpoints are in the 40s, bringing a slight touch of humidity to the air. The seven day forecast doesn't call for much change in temperatures- mainly in the low to mid 90s for highs. Here are the specifics for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. South southeast wind between 5 and 9 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 64. South southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east southeast.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. South wind around 7 mph becoming east.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

cooler than normal weather rolls on

Today's high temperature in Chico was 89 degrees. The normal high is around 92 degrees. In fact, the past several days have seen temps at or below normal in Chico. If this trend continues, we may have one of the coolest summers on record. The forecast for the next seven days calls for sunny skies and clear nights, with highs right around 91-92 degrees, and lows in the lower 60s. I went to Lassen National Volcanic Park yesterday, and the weather there was fantastic! It was sunny, with temps in the 60s and 70s. Everything was green, and there were multi-colored wildflowers growing along the slopes of Lassen Peak. The pics above are from my trip there yesterday. For those who don't know, Lassen Peak is located about 65 miles north-northeast of Chico. The mountain is over 10,000 feet above sea level, and it's the southernmost peak of the Cascade Mountain range. Even this late in the year, there was a little bit of snow at the top of the peak. I really do love it up there. Have a great week!

boring weather

It's this time of the year that I start wishing for stormy winter weather. The weather in August and September is soooo boring- high temps in the 90s and lows in the 60s under clear skies and light winds. Yawn. Well, I guess I'd better get over it because that is what we're going to get for the next seven days. I say bring on fall! Here are the boring details from the National Weather Service (try not to fall asleep while reading this):

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Southeast wind around 7 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south between 4 and 7 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. Southeast wind around 7 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 8 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind around 6 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 94.

where's the heat?

It has been relatively mild so far this summer in Chico, and that trend will continue through this weekend. We've seen high temperatures mainly in the lower 90s the past several days, and we are usually hotter this time of year. We have had no significant stretch of 100 degree plus days so far this summer, and it looks like we won't see any triple digit heat for the foreseeable future. We may start to heat up by early next week, but that's a ways down the road. For now, continue to enjoy the nice days of summer! Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Calm wind becoming east northeast between 4 and 7 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west northwest around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. East southeast wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 93. East northeast wind at 5 mph becoming south southwest.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 64. South wind around 6 mph becoming east northeast.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

continued nice summer weather

Once again, not much change to our weather lately. The current temperature at Chico Municipal Airport is 91 degrees, which is right about average for Chico for mid-August. This will be our weather for the next seven days as there will be no major heat waves or cooldowns in Northern California. So, I'll talk about some events and happenings in Chico this weekend. Of course, there's the Saturday Farmers' Market in downtown Chico from 7 am until 1 pm. The "Show Us Your Shorts!" Film Festival will be happening tonight beginning at 6 pm and tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:30 pm at the Chico Cabaret. The Fritz will be playing tonight as part of the Friday Night Concert series at Downtown Plaza beginning at 7 pm. For other events and happenings this weekend, check out the Chico News and Review's link on my home page. Have a great and safe weekend, and enjoy our nice summer weather! Here's the detailed seven day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South southeast wind between 6 and 9 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south southeast between 11 and 14 mph. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. South southeast wind between 15 and 18 mph becoming calm. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 59. South southeast wind around 7 mph becoming east northeast.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 60.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

cool summer continues

Cool being a relative term. Still, it has been a cooler than usual summer in Northern California. Both Chico and Sacramento have reached 100 degrees or more just five times so far this year! There have been no 100 degree days in Chico so far this month. This cooler than usual trend will continue for the next seven days. In fact, high temps in Chico next week will only be in the mid 80s! We should be around 92 degrees this time of year. Thank a stronger than usual Delta breeze and a persistent trough of low pressure in the Northern Pacific for this nice weather. Here is the detailed seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south between 4 and 7 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind around 7 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south between 6 and 9 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

broken record forecast

I haven't posted for the past several days because, well, I do have a life, but also because there just isn't much happening weatherwise in this area of the country. Northern California is quiet right now, with seasonable temperatures and dry conditions. No big storms are affecting us, no multi-acre fires are blazing, and there is no scorching heat lately. Just sunny skies during the day, starry skies at night, and near- normal temps for both highs and lows. High temps have averaged in the lower 90s the past five days, while overnight lows have been in the lower to middle 60s. That's it- nothing much else to talk about, other than this weather trend will continue for at least the next seven days. Here are the boring details for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind around 6 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Light and variable wind.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

nice summer weather

While most of the Southern Plains and South blaze under triple digit heat, we here in the Northstate have experienced very pleasant temperatures today. The morning low in Chico this morning was a refreshing 59 degrees, and the afternoon high was a lovely 84 degrees. We would normally see temps around 93 degrees this time of year, so 84 degrees was very nice, indeed. Temperatures will warm up from where they were today, but still slightly below average. Look for highs mainly in the lower 90s in the Chico area the next seven days under bright, sunny skies. Morning lows will be right around 60 degrees, which is where we should be this time of year. Here are the details from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 59. East southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind around 9 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 93. South southwest wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind between 9 and 11 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

temps will cool down

The National Weather Service released new climate normal data yesterday. This data includes average high and low temperatures and precipitation normals for the 30 year period between 1981-2010. Unfortunately, Chico does not have an official NWS recording station, so I have to rely on The Weather Channel data for Chico's climate normals. The Weather Channel states the normal high and low for August 2nd in Chico is 93 and 60, respectively. This data appears to me to have not changed from the 1970-2000 data. However, I don't know if The Weather Channel is using the updated data on their website. It would be interesting (to me, at least) to see if the climate normals have increased over the past 30 years as the planet has gotten warmer. Anyway, speaking of warm, it sure was in Chico both yesterday and today. The high temperature for both days was 95 degrees. To me it also felt more humid today. The dewpoint at 3 pm today in Chico was 62 degrees, so it was rather humid. Temps should cool down beginning tomorrow, and especially by late in the week. The Delta breeze (Mother Nature's air conditioning) will pick up and carry more marine-influenced air to our area. Highs this weekend should be a good five to eight degrees below what they were today. Here are the details for Chico from the NWS:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 63. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South southeast wind between 3 and 10 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 88. South southeast wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 59. Southeast wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91.