dry streak goes on and on

The high today in Chico was 61 degrees, a full ten degrees cooler than yesterday. There was more haze today than yesterday, as well as an absence of the downsloping north wind that was prevalent yesterday. Hazy skies will continue off and on throughout this upcoming week as a lack of rain and stagnant air affect the air quality in the Sacramento Valley. High temps will remain 8 to 13 degrees above normal, while overnight lows will be at or slightly below normal. Again, there is no rain in the forecast. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Widespread haze. Patchy fog after 4am. Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 31. Calm wind. Monday Patchy fog before 10am. Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Calm wind. Monday Night Patchy fog after 4am. Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 31. Calm wind. Tuesday Patchy fog before 10am. Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind. Tuesday Night Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Light and variable wind. New Year's Day Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

when will it rain?

That's a good question. It has been dry and warm for days now, with yesterday reaching 69 degrees in Chico. Amazingly, that temperature was not a record high for Chico, but Sacramento and Stockton both broke their record highs for December 26th when those cities reached the mid 60s. Today will be somewhat cooler than it has been, with highs only making it to around 60 degrees. The warmth returns for the weekend, with highs back into the mid and upper 60s. Unfortunately, no rain is in the forecast, and there is no idea of when it will rain again. It is very concerning as December turns into January, normally the wettest time of the year for Chico. I'm still hoping the weather pattern will change, but it's not going to happen for awhile. High pressure is anchored over the West Coast with no signs of budging. With high pressure, air sinks, preventing clouds from forming. Clouds need low pressure to form and produce precipitation. So, look for sunny days, clear nights, mild afternoons and chilly mornings for the foreseeable future. Here's Chico's seven day forecast, including New Year's Eve, from the National Weather Service: Today Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 61. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Light north northeast wind. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 66. North northwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. North northeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 65. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Monday Sunny, with a high near 63. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. New Year's Day Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.

continued dry and mild

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! The high temperature on Christmas Eve in Chico was a very warm 72 degrees, which tied the record set back in 1967, while today (Christmas Day) it reached 67 degrees. Yesterday's high temperature did not set a record, but these temps are way above average, which is 54 degrees for this time of year. The overnight lows are near normal, with last night's low temp a chilly 35 degrees (normal low is 34 degrees). We haven't seen a drop of precipitation since December 7th, and it looks like we won't see any precip until next year sometime. 2013 will go down as the driest year ever recorded in California. We really need a succession of storms over the next month, but we're just not going to see it. I keep hoping the weather pattern will change, but we'll have to wait and see. For now, expect warm and dry weather. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Patchy frost after 5am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 33. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 6 mph in the evening. Thursday Patchy frost before 11am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 63. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Thursday Night Patchy frost after 5am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 33. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Friday Patchy frost before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 61. North northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the morning. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Light and variable wind. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 66. Saturday Night Clear, with a low around 34. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 63. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Monday Sunny, with a high near 62. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 61. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. New Year's Day Sunny, with a high near 62.

chilly nights, mild days

The high temperature at the Chico State University Farm today was 71 degrees- 2 degrees shy of the record high of 73 degrees for this date. It has been a very warm week, with today being the warmest of the past seven days. This trend will continue, as high pressure is large and in charge over California. Look for clear, sunny skies and chilly, starry nights through next weekend. High temps will generally be in the 60s, while overnight lows will be in the mid 30s. When will we see rain again? Who knows. Here is the seven day weather forecast for Chico (including a very mild Christmas Day) from the National Weather Service: Tonight Patchy frost after 5am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Monday Patchy frost before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Light and variable wind. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Light north wind. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northeast in the evening. Christmas Day Sunny, with a high near 62. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 63. Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 34. Friday Sunny, with a high near 62. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 60.

calm, dry weather

After a blustery, chilly Thursday, in which winds gusted to 30 mph, yesterday was much calmer. The high temperature yesterday reached a balmy 61 degrees in Chico, six degrees above the average. Sunshine, calm winds, and mild temperatures will rule the next seven days as persistent high pressure remains too stubborn to move. At least we're not experiencing the weather many parts of the Midwest, Southeast, and East are experiencing: Tornadoes, ice, snow, and flooding rains are all happening in those parts. I'll take calm and sunny, thanks. Well, maybe the rain, but not the flooding rain. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 61. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming northwest in the morning. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 35. North wind around 7 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 63. North northwest wind around 7 mph. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Calm wind becoming northeast 5 to 7 mph in the evening. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. North northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Christmas Day Sunny, with a high near 61. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 31. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 63. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

becoming windy

There is a Wind Advisory that has been issued for the Sacramento Valley in effect beginning at 4 am tomorrow morning and lasting until 10 pm tomorrow night. Northerly winds between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts to 50 mph, may occur. The strongest winds, as is usual during a northerly wind set-up, will take place on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. Chico itself may only see sustained winds between 15-20 mph. Regardless, expect breezy conditions throughout tomorrow. Also expect cooler temperatures, with highs today only around 60 degrees under mostly sunny skies, and mid 50s tomorrow. With the wind, it will feel downright nippy (well, for us Northern Californians, anyway). Temperatures will rebound back into the low to mid 60s Friday through next Tuesday under mainly sunny skies. We may not see any precipitation for the rest of the year. Not good. Fire danger is unusually high for this time of year. The Big Sur fire south of San Francisco is still burning nearly out of control. It's very unusual to see big fires spark in December, but that is just indicative of how dry we are right now. We still have time in the rainy season to catch up, however, so I remain somewhat positive. Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Light and variable wind. Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Light north wind becoming north northwest 8 to 13 mph after midnight. Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. North wind 13 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. North wind 7 to 9 mph. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 63. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 61. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

It's beginning to look alot like... not Christmas

Highs in the 60s and plenty of sunshine both yesterday and today does not feel or look like Christmas. However, when the sun sets and temperatures drop from the 60s to the 40s, and all of the holiday lights are sparkling, well, that's a different story. However, the not-so-Christmasy weather will continue for the foreseeable future, as high pressure will not relent. A quick-moving and weak cold front will pivot through our area Wednesday night, cooling temps off slightly into the upper 50s on Thursday. Otherwise, expect sunshine and highs in the 60s the next several days. Overnight lows will generally be in the 30s. We need rain! Here is the dry and mild seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Tonight Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 31. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 5 mph. Monday Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 63. Light and variable wind. Monday Night Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 35. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 5 mph in the evening. Tuesday Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind. Tuesday Night Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 35. Light and variable wind. Wednesday Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Wednesday Night A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Thursday A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Friday Sunny, with a high near 61. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 37. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 66. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 37. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 62.

buddy, can you spare a raindrop?

Because, apparently, Mother Nature cannot. There has been a warming trend the past several days since my last post (sorry, been fighting a nasty cold). That warming trend will continue this weekend, making it feel more like March than December. Highs by Monday will be in the mid 60s, a full ten degrees warmer than usual. There is a SLIGHT chance of a shower Wednesday night and Thursday, thanks to a cold front originating from the Gulf of Alaska. While this cold front may not bring the abundant moisture we so desperately need, it will knock the high temps down to at or slightly below normal by next Thursday. In the meantime, keep praying for rain. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 61. North northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 61. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the morning. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 35. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 6 mph in the evening. Monday Sunny, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 62. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Wednesday Night A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Thursday A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Friday Sunny, with a high near 54.

nice and mild

After a chilly start this morning (currently it's 28 degrees in Chico), expect a mild end to the day today, with a high of 53 degrees. In fact, the cold air is going to be pushed out of here the next few days as the jet stream flattens out. This will cause milder Pacific air to come on in, resulting in highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s tomorrow through early next week. Unfortunately, what we need most we're not going to get: rain. There is no mention of rain or snow in the forecast for the next seven days. This is not good, as we have seen the driest start to our rainy season since 1921. The Sierra snowpack is less than half of normal to this date, and if we don't get some abundant moisture soon, we could be looking at water rationing in California by next summer. Not good. Let's hope we get a parade of storms soon. For now, here is the dry and mild forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Today Widespread frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 53. North northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Tonight Patchy frost after 10pm. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 28. North northeast wind around 8 mph. Thursday Areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 55. East northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the evening. Friday Sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 3 to 6 mph. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 59. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.

gradual warm up this week

It has been a cold weekend in Chico, with high temps both yesterday and today in the mid 40s. That's a good 10 degrees colder than average. Good news is that we will begin to warm up this week, but it won't be until Wednesday before we get back to temperatures we typically see this time of year. It will be frosty cold again tonight, with the expected low around 19 degrees. This morning's low temperature was 20 degrees, so we did not reach the record low of 15 degrees for this date. Tomorrow's record low is 13 degrees, so we won't get too close to that record. By next weekend , look for highs flirting with 60 degrees. There will be a slight chance of rain Thursday and again Sunday. Otherwise, it'll be dry and sunny. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Widespread frost after 10pm. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 19. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Monday Widespread frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 49. North northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Monday Night Areas of frost after 10pm. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 22. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Tuesday Areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable in the morning. Tuesday Night Areas of frost after 10pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Light east northeast wind. Wednesday Areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Thursday A slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 56. Thursday Night A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Saturday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Sunday A slight chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

coldest air of the season arrives this weekend

It has been an interesting 24 hours in the Northstate, with cold temperatures and snow levels down to below 1000 feet. Chico officially did not see any accumulating snow, but locations in the foothills east of Chico did. At my house, elevation 1500 feet, 3 inches of snow fell between yesterday afternoon around 4pm and early this morning. Paradise saw over 5 inches. It's rather unusual (but nor unheard of) for that much snow to fall in early December. This was the first accumulating snowfall at my house in nearly three years. So it happens, but not often. The next big weather story for our area is the cold temperatures that will affect us tonight and tomorrow night. A Hard Freeze Warning has already been posted for tonight through tomorrow morning for the Sacramento Valley, including Chico. Lows will drop into the teens and twenties! Chico will flirt with its record low for December 8th, which is 15 degrees! Temperatures will gradually moderate over the next several days as the sun returns and milder zonal (Pacific) flow returns. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am. Patchy dense fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 16. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 40. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the morning. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 16. Light north northwest wind becoming north northeast 5 to 9 mph after midnight. Monday Sunny, with a high near 46. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph becoming south in the morning. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Thursday A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Thursday Night A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Friday A slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 58.

Winter Weather Advisory for Chico and the central Sacramento Valley

Chico could (emphasis on could) see up to an inch of snow by tomorrow morning. We will see. More from the National Weather Service: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM PST SATURDAY... * IMPACTS: HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO ACCUMULATING SNOW AND TRAVEL DELAYS LIKELY. REDUCED VISIBILITIES FROM BLOWING SNOW. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: UP TO 1 INCH. * TIMING: LATE EVENING INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING * LOCATIONS INCLUDE: * WINDS: SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

Winter Storm Warning for foothills; rain and snow mix for Chico

It's another cold morning in Chico currently, with 27 degrees at the airport this hour. A quick-moving storm system will move through late this afternoon and overnight tonight, bringing a mix of rain and snow for Chico, and accumulating snow for the Northern Sacramento Valley (Redding), foothills (Paradise, Magalia) and the mountains (Quincy, Lassen Park). Over a foot of snow is expected in the highest elevations above 6000 feet, while foothills communities such as Paradise may see up to six inches. Elevations generally below 1500 feet will see 1-3 inches, while the valley floor above 500 feet may see around an inch. The Winter Storm Warning for the foothills and mountains above 1000 feet is in effect between 4pm today until 7am tomorrow. Rainfall amounts in Chico will be around a quarter of an inch. By tomorrow afternoon, the rain and snow will be a memory, as sunshine returns and temps warm into the mid 40s (warm being relative). If you're sick of the cold weather, fear not, because highs will return to around 60 degrees by late next week. If you're attending the community Christmas tree lighting ceremonies tonight at Chico's Downtown Plaza beginning at 6:30, bring a coat and umbrella, as showers may be falling and the temperature hovers right around 40 degrees. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Increasing clouds, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Tonight Rain and snow, mainly before 4am. Low around 31. South southeast wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Saturday A chance of rain and snow before 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 17. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming north northeast in the evening. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 44. North wind 3 to 7 mph. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 19. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 56. Wednesday Night A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Thursday A slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 58.

Winter Storm Watch for foothills east of Chico

I've been hesitant to post this, as it does not pertain to Chico directly. However, it does affect communities east of Chico, and many people in those communities commute to jobs in Chico. This next storm has the potential to drop significant amounts of snow in the foothills, with locations that aren't accustomed to seeing hardly any snow. It's cold enough that valley locations above 500 feet may see 1-3" of the white stuff. Chico itself may see a mix of rain and snow, particularly overnight Friday into Saturday morning. Here's the statement from the National Weather Service: WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... * IMPACTS: TRAVEL PROBLEMS LIKELY...WITH MAJOR ROADS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS POTENTIALLY HAVING EXTENDED DELAYS. DRIVING CONDITIONS NORMALLY SEEN ONLY NEAR PASS LEVELS WILL OCCUR AT MUCH LOWER ELEVATIONS. * CONFIDENCE: HIGH IN MOUNTAIN AND FOOTHILL SNOW. * TIMING: SNOW SPREADING INTO THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND PEAKING IN INTENSITY FRIDAY EVENING. LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS INTO EARLY SATURDAY. * LOCATIONS INCLUDE: CHESTER...QUINCY...LASSEN NATIONAL PARK... PARADISE. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 3 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE VALLEYS AND IN THE MOUNTAINS 9 TO 18 INCHES....HIGHEST TOTALS OVER SOUTHERN WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY.

Hard Freeze for overnight tonight

From the National Weather Service in Sacramento: A HARD FREEZE WARNING BELOW 2000 FEET REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM PST FRIDAY. * TEMPERATURES: OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE UPPER TEENS TO UPPER 20S OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. * TIMING: OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR HARD FREEZE. * LOCATIONS INCLUDE: PARADISE...LAKEPORT. * IMPACTS: COLD TEMPERATURES COULD DAMAGE CROPS AND KILL SENSITIVE VEGETATION...HARM PETS AND LIVESTOCK AND COULD CAUSE PIPES TO BURST.

some snow for Chico?

This Arctic blast is no joke. Currently it's 30 degrees in Chico, with about an hour to go before sunrise. So, it will probably get colder before the sun rises. There is a Freeze Warning in effect currently for Chico until 10 this morning, and a Hard Freeze Warning that goes into effect tonight. Temps will dip into the low 20s overnight tonight, giving us some of the coldest air in five years. Looking ahead to the end of this week, there is a chance of a rain/ snow mix for Chico on Friday and Friday night. It is quite unusual for Chico to see any snow, so this could be quite an event if it is cold enough for all snow. I will keep abreast of any changes in the forecast. There is a Winter Storm Watch for the Sierra foothills and mountains beginning Friday and lasting through Saturday morning. The snow level could be as low as 1000 feet, which includes Upper Bidwell Park. The Chico city limits extend into Upper Bidwell Park. So, if any accumulating snow falls at the 1000 foot level, it will count as accumulating snow in Chico. That has happened I believe only once in the over 11 years I've lived here. Again, I will post updates as the time period draws closer. High temps in Chico from now through Sunday will remain in the 40s (normal high is 56-57 degrees), with the exception of Friday, when highs will only reach the mid 30s! Highs will begin to moderate by early next week, as another storm, this time from the milder Pacific Ocean, moves in. For now, here is what the National Weather Service is saying for Chico the next seven days: Today Sunny, with a high near 49. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Tonight Widespread frost, mainly after 5am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 23. North northwest wind around 5 mph. Thursday Widespread frost before 11am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 46. North northwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Thursday Night A 30 percent chance of rain after 5am. Patchy frost after 11pm. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 27. Light east southeast wind. Friday A chance of rain before 11am, then rain and snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Light east southeast wind becoming south southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Friday Night Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 21. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Monday Night A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Tuesday A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55.

Freeze Warning and Hard Freeze Warning in effect

From the National Weather Service: FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM PST WEDNESDAY... ...HARD FREEZE WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO 9 AM PST FRIDAY... THE HARD FREEZE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO 9 AM PST FRIDAY. A FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM PST WEDNESDAY. * TEMPERATURES: OVERNIGHT LOWS 26 TO 32 TONIGHT...THEN COLDER AND IN THE 20S EACH NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. * TIMING: TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE FREEZE. OVERNIGHT LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR HARD FREEZE. * LOCATIONS INCLUDE: STOCKTON...MODESTO...SACRAMENTO. * IMPACTS: COLD TEMPERATURES DAMAGE CROPS AND KILL SENSITIVE VEGETATION...HARM PETS AND LIVESTOCK AND COULD CAUSE PIPES TO BURST.

latest on the freeze watches

From the National Weather Service office in Sacramento: FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... ...HARD FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. HARD FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. * TEMPERATURES: NEAR FREEZING TUESDAY NIGHT, THEN IN THE 20S WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. * TIMING: TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. * LOCATIONS INCLUDE: STOCKTON...MODESTO...SACRAMENTO...CHICO... REDDING. * IMPACTS: COLD TEMPERATURES COULD KILL CROPS AND SENSITIVE VEGETATION...HARM PETS AND LIVESTOCK AND COULD CAUSE PIPES TO BURST.

baby, it's (going to get) cold outside!

After a high temperature of 70 degrees yesterday, and 67 degrees today, Chicoans are probably not ready for the cold weather that's about to grip us later this week. There will be one more day of mild weather tomorrow before colder air filters into our area from Canada. In fact, it's going to be so cold the National Weather Service has already issued a Hard Freeze Watch, in effect late Wednesday through Saturday morning. This means sub-freezing temperatures are possible for several hours during that time period, mainly during the overnight and early morning hours. Bring in potted plants and pets, and wrap your water pipes so they do not burst. Daytime highs will be in the mid 50s on Tuesday, around 50 on Wednesday, and mid 40s Thursday and Friday. Highs will begin to warm into the lower 50s by next weekend. For reference, the normal high for Chico in early December is around 58 degrees. Oh, well. Perhaps this cold weather will put people into the Christmas spirit, right? Here's Chico's chilly forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Calm wind. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers before 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Northwest wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 28. North wind 5 to 11 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 50. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 46. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Friday Sunny, with a high near 47. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.