hot, then not so hot

Today begins a three day streak of temps above 90 degrees. The hottest day will be tomorrow, with highs in Chico nearing the 100 degree mark. By this weekend, temperatures will be more manageable- mainly in the 80s. A nice cooldown will occur by the beginning of next week, as highs will be in the lower 80s. I have a feeling we will not have a blazingly hot summer. The last time Chico had a really hot summer was in 2006. That summer we saw high temps above 100 degrees for 11 days in a row in late July. Hopefully we will not see that this year. Here is Chico's hot-then-not-so-hot forecast from the National Weather Service: Today: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west northwest around 6 mph. Tonight: Clear, with a low around 58. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph. Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming south southeast between 4 and 7 mph. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Light south southwest wind. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

Back to the grind... and the heat

This holiday weekend was mainly pleasant in Chico, with very little rain and high temperatures in the 70s. In the Napa Valley, where the hubby and I went camping, it rained both Friday AND Saturday afternoon. That's okay; it was pleasant during the morning (albeit a tad chilly), and Sunday was nice all day long. Unfortunately, it's back to work tomorrow, and the heat will return. Perfect timing, I know. High temperatures will steadily increase throughout the rest of this week, with highs by Thursday and Friday in the mid to upper 90s. That's hot! Fortunately the heat does not last, as highs for next weekend fall back into the 80s. Here are the details for Chico from the National Weather Service: Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Light south southwest wind. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. South southeast wind at 7 mph becoming northeast. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. North northwest wind around 7 mph. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. North northwest wind between 3 and 8 mph. Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

cold and unsettled, then sunny and hot

The seven day forecast for Northern California has it all- showers, thunderstorms, snow, wind, and heat. Today has been blustery in Chico, with northwesterly winds up to 30 mph at times. It has been noticeably cooler, as well, with highs today in the upper 70s (normals are in the mid 80s this time of year). Expect the blustery, coolish conditions to continue into Friday, with a chance for thunderstorms in the valley and snow above 6000 feet in the northern Sierra Nevada. A Winter Weather Advisory will go into effect at 6 am tomorrow for elevations above 6000 feet. Anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of the white stuff could fall, so if camping in the high country this weekend, be mindful of this. Once this cold core low pressure system moves east on Saturday, dry and warmer weather will return. By the end of next week, we'll be seeing highs in the 90s in Chico. Also, I'm going camping near the Napa Valley this weekend, so there will be no weather posts until next week. Oh, I almost forgot: the Silver Dollar Fair starts tonight at the appropriately named Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. The rides, concerts, livestock exhibits, and cotton candy last through Monday. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Breezy, with a north northwest wind between 17 and 22 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. North northwest wind between 8 and 11 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. East northeast wind between 5 and 8 mph becoming calm. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. East northeast wind at 8 mph becoming south southeast. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind around 5 mph becoming east northeast. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Memorial Day: Sunny, with a high near 83. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 56. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 59. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Rain in the forecast?

We could see some shower and thunderstorm activity on Friday as a cold front moves through our area. Expect snow in the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada Friday and Friday night. If camping in the Sierra this weekend, be aware of the much cooler weather coming our way. In the valley, as mentioned, expect some showers and possibly a thunderstorm Friday and into Saturday. Chances of this occurring are small; however, high temperatures will also cool down late this week in the valley. High temps on Friday in Chico will only be around 70 degrees. As is the case this time of year, temperatures will rapidly warm up into the mid 80s by early next week. Here is Chico's weather forecast from the National Weather Service: Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. North northwest wind between 13 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. North northwest wind between 9 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 76. North northwest wind between 13 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. North northwest wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Northwest wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Memorial Day: Sunny, with a high near 84. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

cooler weather this week

The Annular Eclipse yesterday over Chico was amazing! We could not have asked for better sky conditions or timing. Clouds began to roll in from the northwest about half an hour after the eclipse was over. It was interesting to me in that it felt like the temperature dropped a good five to almost ten degrees while the eclipse was happening. I also noticed the southerly breeze calmed a bit (at least at my house in the foothills) while the eclipse was happening, and then picked up again after the eclipse. It was a very cool experience. Speaking of cool, that's what the weather will be by the end of this week. Daytime high temperatures will slowly begin cooling down from their highs in the low 90s yesterday. By this weekend, highs will range from the mid to upper 70s. There will also be a slight chance of a shower Thursday night through Friday evening. Otherwise, Memorial Day weekend looks fantastic. Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind between 7 and 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm. Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. North northwest wind between 5 and 9 mph. Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. North northwest wind between 6 and 9 mph. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North northwest wind around 10 mph. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Friday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Friday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

changes in store

Today and tomorrow will be warm in Chico, with highs in the mid to upper 80s under sunny skies. The weather should cooperate for the annular eclipse tomorrow, which should peak right around 6:30 pm. There may be a few thin high clouds, but otherwise skies tomorrow should be clear. Changes are in store for the middle to latter part of next week, as a series of cold fronts move across Northern California. Highs will only be in the low to mid 70s by late next week. Showers should be confined mainly to the northern mountains. Memorial Day weekend should be dry, with below normal temps in the upper 70s (we should be around 84 for the high this time of year). Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Today was beautiful- heating up this weekend

Today was lovely as far as the weather was concerned. Other than some morning clouds and afternoon haze, it was dry and partly sunny. Temperatures stayed in the 70s this afternoon, making it very comfortable to be outdoors. My husband and I drove into Upper Bidwell Park and did a brief hike this morning. It was very nice. It looks like it will warm up this weekend as high pressure strengthens over our region. Highs in the lower 90s will be likely by Sunday. Temps cool back down early next week to seasonal levels. It will continue to remain dry through the period. This weekend will be busy in Chico as Chico State holds its graduations. There will be thousands of familes in town to watch their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters graduate. Parking will be a nightmare, but hopefully these families will spend their money here and add to Chico's coffers. Here is the detailed forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Light wind becoming north northwest between 14 and 17 mph. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North northwest wind between 7 and 10 mph. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. North northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Light and variable wind. Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 58. South wind at 5 mph becoming northeast. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

Not as hot as previously thought

Happy Hump Day! The past two days in Chico have been very nice weather-wise, with sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s/ mid 80s. It will be warm today, but not hot, with highs in the mid 80s. The rest of the seven day forecast looks warm, but not hot, as well. Highs through early next week will hold in the lower to middle 80s while overnight lows will stay mainly in the 50s. Very nice, comfortable readings. Sunshine will abound, with the exception of an isolated thunderstorm tomorrow. Otherwise, expect typically dry weather for this time of year. Here is Chico's seven day outlook from the National Weather Service: Today: Sunny, with a high near 85. South wind between 5 and 7 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind at 9 mph becoming east northeast. Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East southeast wind at 9 mph becoming southwest. Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. North northwest wind around 9 mph. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 86. Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

Overall, nice weather for this week

This past weekend was hot, but yesterday was not quite as hot as Saturday. At the Chico Airport, Saturday's high temperature was 94 degrees, while yesterday's high was 90. Today we have the Delta breeze in place, bringing cooler temperatures to the Sacramento River valley. Expect highs today only in the upper 70s. Tuesday and Wednesday will see highs in the upper 80s, then Thursday and Friday will cool down into the lower 80s- about where we should be for mid-May. Next weekend looks warm, but not hot, with highs in the mid to upper 80s. All seven days will see sunshine. Here is the detailed seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming south southeast between 5 and 8 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. South southeast wind at 8 mph becoming east northeast. Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Southeast wind between 3 and 5 mph. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 88. South southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph. Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

hot weather continues

It's going to be a hot weekend, with high temperatures mainly in the low to mid 90s both today and tomorrow (Sunday). Temperatures will cool down (relatively speaking) into the mid 80s on Monday, but bounce back into the 90s for the middle of next week. Sunny skies abound for the next seven days. Again, if venturing out on the water this weekend, be careful. Rivers and streams are running fast and cold due to mountain snowmelt. Wear a life jacket and don't venture too far into the water. Best bet- if the stream is running fast, just don't get into it at all. It's not worth risking your life for a brief cooldown. Here is Chico's hot weather forecast from the National Weather Service: Today: Sunny, with a high near 94. North northwest wind between 3 and 5 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Light north northwest wind. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind between 6 and 9 mph. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind around 5 mph. Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 94. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

warm and blustery

That's how today's weather has been in Chico, with temperatures hovering in the mid 80s and winds from the northwest between 15 and 25 mph. The winds should die down once the sun sets, but the warm weather will become hotter over this weekend. High temps both Saturday and Sunday will creep into the mid 90s as high pressure builds in over Northern California. High temperatures will ease just a bit heading into next week, but only by a few degrees. As usual this time of year, there is no rain in the seven day forecast. Here is that seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Tonight: Clear, with a low around 55. North wind between 5 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around 7 mph. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Southwest wind at 6 mph becoming east northeast. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming west northwest around 5 mph. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Light north northwest wind. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

It's hot!

What happened to spring? I don't know for certain, but I have a feeling as climate change continues, we're going to see more in the way of drastic and severe temperature swings. We here in Chico went from winter to summer in about a week's time! Soon there will be no spring or fall to speak of. The hot weather is going to stick around for awhile, as high temperatures run a good 10-12 degrees above average for early/ mid May. Currently it's 91 degrees in Chico- a temperature we would normally see in late June or early July on average. Oh, well. I've seen hotter temps much sooner- I remember in March 2004 the high temperature reached 93 degrees in Chico on St. Patrick's Day. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. South southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south southeast between 4 and 7 mph. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. South southeast wind around 6 mph. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 86. North northwest wind between 9 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. North northwest wind around 8 mph. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 56. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

summer-like temps this week

It is going to be warm and sunny this upcoming work week. Expect gusty north winds to continue today, although they won't be as strong as yesterday. High temperatures the next seven days will range from the mid 80s to the lower 90s, while lows will be in the mid to upper 50s. If tempted to cool off in one of our area lakes or streams, be careful. Rapid snowmelt will cause these waters to run fast and cold. Hypothermia can result if you're in the cold water for too long, and the fast current could sweep away even the strongest, most experienced swimmer. In other words, use extreme caution. Otherwise, break out the shorts, sunglasses, and sunblock, and enjoy the weather! Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today: Sunny, with a high near 85. North northwest wind between 8 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Tonight: Clear, with a low around 54. North wind between 7 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88. North northwest wind between 7 and 10 mph. Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 56. North wind between 6 and 8 mph. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. North northwest wind around 7 mph. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 86. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

getting warmer

The past two days in Chico (yesterday and today) have been cooler than average, with high temps mainly in the mid 60s. Yesterday was also breezy and overcast, with winds from the south gusting to 25 mph. Only a few raindrops fell in Chico yesterday, and this may be our last shot at rain for a long while. The forecast for the next several days is trending much warmer and drier. By the middle of next week we could see high temps around 90 degrees. We'll stay in the mid to upper 80s through much of next week. This weekend will be gorgeous, with sunny skies and highs mainly in the lower 80s. Tomorrow will be breezy, with winds this time out of the northwest gusting to over 30 mph. These winds will help to really warm up those temperatures as this wind direction is a downsloping wind. Here are the particulars in Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight: Isolated showers before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Northwest wind between 7 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 11 to 14 mph increasing to between 19 and 22 mph. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 51. North northwest wind 17 to 20 mph decreasing to between 7 and 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North northwest wind between 8 and 10 mph. Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 54. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 58. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

trending cooler and wetter

Today has been noticeably cooler in Chico compared to yesterday and the day before, with highs so far today in the lower 70s. This is compared to upper 70s yesterday and lower 80s on Monday. Clouds have been rapidly increasing today, as well, in advance of the next storm that will affect our area tomorrow. Showers are likely for Chico during the day tomorrow, along with cooler temps in the mid 60s- a good ten to fifteen degrees below average for early May. Don't fret, for the weekend looks gorgeous. Sunny skies and highs in the mid 70s to lower 80s will be the forecast for this weekend. Many events are happening in Chico this weekend: The annual Pioneer Days parade will take place in downtown Chico Saturday morning; the annual Artisan's Faire happens both Saturday and Sunday at Downtown Plaza; and the Endangered Species Fair will be held Saturday at the Chico Creek Nature Center in Bidwell Park. Also, the Thursday Night Market will occur tomorrow evening beginning at 5 pm downtown and will run every Thursday through September. Hopefully the showers will have moved on by the time the Thursday Night Market begins tomorrow evening. For more info on what's happening, click on the Chico News and Review and Enterprise Record links to the right of my main page. Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight: Cloudy, with a low around 51. East southeast wind between 6 and 13 mph. Thursday: Rain likely, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 65. South southeast wind between 13 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. South southeast wind between 8 and 13 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. East wind around 6 mph becoming northwest. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North northwest wind between 6 and 8 mph. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 53. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 82. Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 54. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 56. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 83.