not so cool for Labor Day weekend

I didn't think the forecast calling for cooler temperatures for this weekend would hold. It will be cooler compared to the majority of this past week (highs mainly in the mid 90s both yesterday and today), but highs on Monday will only dip into the upper 80s. The rest of the seven day forecast will see highs at or above 90 degrees. Saturday looks to be the warmest day before the Delta Breeze kicks in and cools us off slightly. Oh, well- normal temps this time of year in Chico are 92 degrees for the high and 60 degrees for the low, so we won't be too far off from those averages. Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend! My hubby and I will be off camping beginning tomorrow, so this will be my last post until Monday. Have fun and stay safe! Here's Chico's seven day outlook from the National Weather Service: Tonight Clear, with a low around 65. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Friday Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south southeast 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. East southeast wind 6 to 10 mph. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Labor Day Sunny, with a high near 87. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 90. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 91. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 91.

cooler for Labor Day weekend

Happy Hump Day! It was surprisingly hot yesterday in Chico, with a high temperature of 94 degrees. The forecast high was for 91, so it was hotter than expected. High temps will continue to remain above 90 degrees for the next several days- mainly low 90s. By Sunday, highs are expected to top out at around 87 degrees. That's warmer than previously forecast, so don't expect a drastic cooling off of temperatures this weekend. Oh, well, it IS still summer. It will still be perfect weather for a swim or barbeque (or both!). By early next week, we'll be back into the lower 90s. Our average high temperature this time of year is 91 degrees, so we won't be too far off of that. I just keep thinking: It'll be fall soon. Here's Chico's not-so-cool forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming east northeast in the evening. Friday Sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 92. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 88. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Labor Day Sunny, with a high near 87. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 90.

a big cool down for Labor Day weekend?

Let's hope so. First, a recap of yesterday's weather. It was absolutely gorgeous! Mostly cloudy skies in the morning gave way to mostly sunny skies by afternoon, with a pleasant high temperature of 87 degrees. It was a bit breezy, though, with winds gusting from the southeast around 20 mph at times. But that simply helped the air feel cooler! Today should be a near carbon copy of today, minus the clouds. The rest of the work (and school) week will see a slight warming trend into the lower 90s, but that is seasonable for this time of year. As we head into Labor Day weekend, however, temps will cool down once again. Highs on Saturday will be in the upper 80s, while on Sunday highs will dip into the mid 80s. Nice! Let's hope this cooling trend holds. For now, here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 88. South wind 3 to 8 mph. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 63. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 91. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. East southeast wind around 7 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 91. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 91. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Friday Sunny, with a high near 91. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 89. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 84.

nice weather ahead

Yesterday's high temperature in Chico was a rather pleasant 88 degrees. There was a nice breeze from the south around 15 mph, and clouds began to roll in later in the day. The clouds were brought in by a weak area of low pressure that will scoot on out of here by later today. This morning has also been mostly cloudy and cool, with a slight breeze from the south. This pleasant weather (well, for our standards, anyway) will continue through the work (and school) week. Chico State University students return to class beginning tomorrow, and the city has already begun to feel their presence. A small group of students became rowdy late Friday night in the "frat" neighborhood and began throwing bottles and rocks at police. We have had riots and mayhem before in Chico from some university students, but they are a minority and not reflective of the student body as a whole. Sometimes certain students have a little too much alcohol and end up becoming violent. I think this happens in any college town. Chico has had an ongoing debate about how to limit the accessibility of alcohol to college students, especially those under age 21. It's a debate that will continue for some time, I believe. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Light southeast wind becoming south southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind 7 to 10 mph. Monday Sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Light and variable wind becoming northeast around 5 mph after midnight. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming southwest in the morning. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 90. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 91. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Friday Sunny, with a high near 91. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.

nice weather for this weekend

Yesterday was noticeably cooler in Chico than it has been lately. The high temperature was only 92 degrees (right about where we should be for the latter part of August). Yesterday evening my hubby and I were sitting on our back porch shortly after sunset, and it was very comfortable. The visibility has drastically improved since the Swedes Fire was fully contained yesterday. We could see the Coast Range Mountains clearly as the sun set behind them. It was very nice. This weekend should be nice, as well, with below average temps and plenty of sunshine. The big event happening this weekend is Chico Pride. There will be the Glammy Awards tonight at the Chico Women's Club, the actual Pridefest all day tomorrow at the Downtown Plaza; the Chico AIDS Run/Walk at Bidwell Park tomorrow morning; and the Pride Brunch on Sunday morning, also in Bidwell Park. Highs should only be in the upper 80s both Saturday and Sunday for these outdoor events. Show your support of the LGBTQ+I community by attending some of these fun events! Also, Chico State University students are returning this weekend for the start of the new semester on Monday, so be prepared for lots of downtown pedestrian and vehicle traffic. I feel ambivalent about the students' return after a quiet summer; they bring energy and vitality to this little community, but also bring the noise and congestion after an easy, lazy summer. But, anyway, welcome back, students! Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 64. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Southeast wind 7 to 10 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 87. South southeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Monday Sunny, with a high near 87. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 88. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 90. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 90.

a chance of thunderstorms, then cooler

There is a 40% chance of thunderstorms in the Chico area for today. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the entire Northstate, including both valley and mountain locations, until 11 pm tonight due to potential lightning strikes. The greatest chance of thunderstorms will be in the mountains today, so if traveling or doing any outdoor activities there, keep a watchful eye to the sky. The good news is this low pressure system, which has been responsible for thunderstorm formation in the mountains the past two days, will be moving out of our area by tomorrow, leaving drier and relatively cooler conditions. It has been very humid the past two days in Chico; the dew point Monday evening was 72 degrees! That's the kind of dew points the East Coast sees! Thankfully, we won't see that this weekend. Highs by Sunday should not get above 90 degrees. For Chico this time of year, that's nice! Here's the seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. South wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Thursday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east in the evening. Friday Sunny, with a high near 93. Light west wind. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 92. 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 89. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 89.

Red Flag Warning in effect for the valley

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM PDT WEDNESDAY. * AFFECTED AREA...CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY * TIMING...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE INTO AT LEAST WEDNESDAY. * THUNDERSTORMS...GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD. THUNDERSTORMS MAY INITIALLY BE DRY BUT SHOULD BECOME WETTER WITH TIME. STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE ABUNDANT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL. * OUTFLOW WINDS...LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS OVER 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. * IMPACTS...LIGHTNING STRIKES MAY CREATE NEW FIRE STARTS. LOCALLY GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE FIRES WHICH DEVELOP TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. * FOR A DETAILED VIEW OF THE HAZARD AREA...VISIT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SACRAMENTO/HAZARDS PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

chance of thunderstorms in the forecast

It wasn't quite as hot in Chico today as the National Weather Service was predicting, but it was still hot- 98 degrees was the high at the Chico State University Farm on the south end of town. As I type this blog entry it is 97 degrees at the Chico Airport out on the north side of the city. That closed low pressure system I mentioned yesterday has already begun affecting the weather in the Sierra Nevada mountains as thunderstorms have been developing there all afternoon. Thunderstorms there may initially start out dry, but as the moisture from the Pacific Ocean increases, so will the rain with the thunderstorms. These storms will become more numerous this evening through Wednesday, and may affect some valley locations tomorrow through Wednesday, as well. A Red Flag Warning will go into effect for the Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills at 11 am tomorrow until 11 pm Wednesday for potential fire starts due to lightning. The Swedes Fire southeast of Oroville continues to burn, and is at nearly 1900 acres. The fire is about 25% contained. Smoke from this fire has been hovering over Chico and most of Butte County all day, and that is probably why the temperatures haven't soared above 100 degrees. Hopefully we'll get some rain to help put this and other fires across Northern California out. Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight. Monday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northeast in the evening. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. South wind 5 to 8 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tuesday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southeast wind around 6 mph. Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Wednesday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Thursday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Thursday Night A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Friday Sunny, with a high near 93. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 91. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 90.

fires and storms and heat

There are fires burning in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills, triple digit heat is in the forecast for tomorrow and Monday, and thunderstorms (which could spark even more fires) are on tap for the Sierra Nevada mountains and foothills beginning tomorrow. Whew! The weather is getting active! First, I'll talk about the fires. Currently there is the American Fire burning in a remote area of the Sierra, between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Then there is a new fire burning southeast of Oroville, the Swedes Fire. This fire has ballooned from just over 200 acres last night to around 1000 acres as of early this morning. Five structures have already burned, and it's currently only 20% contained. Smoke from this fire is thick and hovering over the foothills and valley this morning. To make matters worse, the heat is building over our area, and will hit the mid 90s today (it was 98 degrees yesterday in Chico) and around 100 degrees tomorrow and Monday. A low pressure system approaching the California coast will increase the moisture and ignite thunderstorms over the mountains and foothills beginning tomorrow and lasting through most of next week. Lightning from these fires may start new fires, so keep an eye to the sky if traveling to the mountains over the next several days. Some of these thunderstorms may even affect some valley locations Monday through Wednesday. The good news in all of this is that the temperatures will be cooling off drastically by the end of next week; expect highs only in the 80s by Thursday and Friday! Here is the seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 67. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Sunday Sunny and hot, with a high near 101. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Light and variable wind. Monday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Light and variable wind. Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Tuesday Night A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Wednesday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Wednesday Night A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 87. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Friday Sunny, with a high near 89.

possible threat of thunderstorms for Northstate mountains and foothills

This Special Weather Statement is from the National Weather Service office in Sacramento: THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING SUNDAY AND LASTING WELL INTO NEXT WEEK... *IMPACTS: POSSIBLE FIRE STARTS FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. LOCAL DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLE MINOR FLOODING...MAINLY HIGHER ELEVATIONS. *TIMING: ISOLATED STORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS BEGINNING SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AREAL COVERAGE OF STORMS INCREASING THROUGH MIDWEEK. ISOLATED STORMS ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE VALLEY. *TEMPERATURES: TRIPLE DIGITS IN THE VALLEY SUNDAY AND MONDAY... COOLING BY MID WEEK. *LOW PRESSURE OFF THE COAST IS FORECAST TO BRING A THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AS EARLY AS SUNDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEK. CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH IN THE TIMING AND MOVEMENT OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AFFECTING THE AREA.

triple digits?

The summer heat continues. The high temperature yesterday was 96 degrees in Chico. We will possibly hit the triple digits by Sunday, but by next Thursday, the high temperature may not hit 90 degrees. For this time of year, that is quite nice! Today and tomorrow expect highs in the mid 90s, as well as mid 90s for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Overnight lows will stay in the 60s. That's what is nice about this area of the country: it may get super hot during the day, but, thanks to low humidity levels (and decreasing amounts of sunlight as we head into late summer), overnight lows are very comfortable. So we are able to get relief from the daytime heat. Currently temps around the Chico area are in the mid to upper 60s, and the visibility is excellent. Smoke and haze have been plaguing areas of the Northstate the past week, with fires seemingly burning all around us. The American Fire, burning between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, has been particularly vexing to foothills communities regarding smoke and poor air quality. Currently in the Chico area, there does not appear to be much in the way of smoke or haze. It is a very pleasant morning! Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 95. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Clear, with a low around 64. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east in the evening. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Light and variable wind becoming north northeast around 5 mph after midnight. Sunday Sunny and hot, with a high near 102. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Monday Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Tuesday Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 89.

hotter than expected

Yesterday the high temperature in Chico soared to 96 degrees under sunny skies. Today will be similar, as high pressure exerts its influence over our region. This is hotter than previously forecast. However, this heat won't stick around; highs by this weekend will return to below average (which is 93 degrees for mid-August). The heat will return for early next week, with highs back into the mid 90s. Overnight lows will generally be in the mid 60s, which is also above average (it should be 59 degrees for the low this time of year). As per usual this time of year, no rain is in the forecast. Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Clear, with a low around 63. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 95. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 64. East wind around 7 mph. Friday Sunny, with a high near 94. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Friday Night Clear, with a low around 63. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 91. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Monday Sunny, with a high near 94. Monday Night Clear, with a low around 64. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 94.

average weather

Ah, yes, another week staring us all in the face. This past weekend was nice in Chico, with sunny skies and highs in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees. It looks like the weather this week will still be sunny (what a shocker) and warm, with mainly average (normal) temps in the lower 90s. It may warm up a bit more by this weekend into the lower 90s. Overnight lows will be pleasant- mainly low to mid 60s. So no major heatwaves on the horizon. That's about it. Have a great week, everyone! Here's Chico's seven day outlook from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Clear, with a low around 61. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. South wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east northeast in the evening. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 93. North northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south southwest in the morning. Wednesday Night Clear, with a low around 63. 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 62. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 92. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 95.

warming up a tad

It has remained below average temperature wise in Chico the past several days, with highs mainly in the mid to upper 80s since Wednesday. The high so far today in Chico has been 88 degrees, five degrees below average for August 9th. This trend will continue, although it will warm up just a bit over the next several days. Currently there are some thunderstorm cells over the Coast Range mountains to the west and northwest of Chico. These storms will not affect us at all, but the towering thunderheads make for a pretty sight. These storms are nearly stationary at present, dropping heavy rain and frequent lightning. In the Sacramento Valley, winds have been breezy from the south around 15 mph most of this afternoon. These winds should calm down later this evening, especially after sunset. Overnight low temps have also been below average the past few mornings, but should warm to around average (which is 60 degrees) by early next week. Again, throw open those windows and let the air conditioner rest! Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 58. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 90. Light and variable wind. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Monday Sunny, with a high near 91. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 91. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 91. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 92. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Friday Sunny, with a high near 90.

Is it August or September?

It has been feeling more like mid to late September than early August the past couple of days, with highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s. Chico awoke to a marine layer just before sunrise this morning, with cool temps in the mid 50s. That marine layer is now burning off, and sunshine will rule the day today. Highs will only be in the mid 80s! That's nearly ten degrees below the average of 93 for this date. Cooler than average weather will persist through early next week, as a low pressure system hovers off the California coast, pushing in cooler marine air from the Pacific and Sacramento River Delta. Overnight lows will range from the mid 50s to around 60 degrees. That is perfect for opening the windows and giving your air conditioner a break. Here's the latest forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light southeast in the evening. Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. East southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 88. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 90. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Monday Sunny, with a high near 91. Monday Night Clear, with a low around 60. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 92.

still on track for cooler weather

Today's high temperature in Chico was a pleasant 91 degrees. Some may say that 91 degrees does not sound pleasant, but for this part of the country for early August, it's pleasant. Low humidity and gentle southerly winds helped to keep the weather nice today. There's also less smoke as the wind flow blows the smoke out of the valley. The Branch Fire near Lake Oroville is nearly completely contained at this time, as well. This lovely summer weather will continue over the next several days, with temps dipping into the mid 80s for highs by the end of this week! Get out and enjoy! Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 61. East southeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Monday Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. East southeast wind around 7 mph. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 89. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 88. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 91.

continued cooler than normal

The past few days have been at or below normal in Chico, with continued smoky conditions. Thursday's high temperature was only 87 degrees, while yesterday it reached 93. The smoky conditions aren't all bad; southerly winds during the afternoon have swept some of the smoke out of the valley. A new fire erupted Thursday afternoon near Lake Oroville, the Branch Fire. It is less than 100 acres in size, with about 50% containment. No structures are threatened, but the fire is burning under high voltage power lines. Fire crews are actively containing the fire at this time. So, we may continue to see some smoky, hazy conditions the next few days. A low pressure system is forming off the California coast, bringing in the southerly flow from the Sacramento River Delta. This will be the cause of our cooler temps the next seven days, with highs only in the upper 80s and lower 90s. Overnight lows will range from the upper 50s to lower 60s. Nice! We can finally give our air conditioners (and our wallets) a rest. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. East southeast wind around 8 mph. Monday Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 91. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 90. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 88. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.