warming up

It's going to be a warm weekend in Chico, with sunny skies and high temperatures both Saturday and Sunday in the low to mid 80s. It will really heat up by early next week, with highs soaring into the mid to upper 80s. A strong ridge of high pressure will exert its influence over Northern California, bringing with it sunshine and very warm temperatures. We'd normally be in the low to mid 70s during mid-April, so this is much warmer than usual. Get outside and enjoy some of the outdoor events happening this weekend, such as the Saturday Farmers' Market in downtown Chico, the Earth Day celebration at the Chico Creek Nature Center in Bidwell Park, or the California Nut Festival happening Saturday at the Patrick Ranch from 11 am until 4 pm. Other fun stuff is happening in Chico and the surrounding area, as well; for more info, click on the Chico News and Review's link on my home page. Here is Chico's hot (relatively speaking) forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Light and variable wind. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 80. North northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Saturday Night Clear, with a low around 52. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm in the evening. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 83. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Sunday Night Clear, with a low around 53. Monday Sunny, with a high near 85. Monday Night Clear, with a low around 54. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 85. Tuesday Night Clear, with a low around 52. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 87. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 86