beneficial rain

Things are beginning to calm down in Chico after a very unsettled four days. Chico received a total of 3.77 inches between Thursday and yesterday (Sunday) at the university farm on the south side of town. Some parts of Chico actually witnessed a line of strong thunderstorms that moved through late last night, with heavy rain, lightning and thunder. This line moved into the foothills before dissipating. The Sierra Nevada received over three feet of snow above 6000 feet over the weekend, great for skiers and the state's water supply. Most of the precipitation has now moved to our south and east, so expect clearing skies today with mild temperatures. A series of weak weather systems will move through our area this week, giving us slight chances of rain Wednesday through this weekend. Mild, seasonal temperatures will be the rule, with highs in the mid 60s (the exception will be Thursday, when highs will be near 70). Hopefully this beneficial rain will bring us a nice wildflower season, which should get underway beginning this week and usually lasts through March. Table Mountain, north of Oroville, is the best place to witness the many different varieties and colors of the wildflowers. Spring is a lovely time of year here in Northern California, with the emerald green grass, blooming trees, and gorgeous wildflowers dotting the foothills. The time when this happens is normally mid-February through the early part of April. Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind. Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Light northeast wind. Tuesday Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Tuesday Night A 20 percent chance of rain after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. East southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Wednesday A 30 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 63. Southeast wind 6 to 11 mph. Wednesday Night A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Thursday A 30 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 68. Thursday Night A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Friday A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Friday Night A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. Saturday A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Saturday Night A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Sunday A slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.