quiet time in Chico

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Christmas yesterday, and a Happy Kwanzaa and Boxing Day today! It is quiet in Chico this holiday season, especially since many of the Chico State students (and some faculty) are out of town right now. It was pretty dead at my gym this morning, and the parking lots and surrounding streets were void of vehicles. The weather, too, has been quiet. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous, with sunny skies, light winds, and temps in the mid 50s. There has been more in the way of clouds today, and there is a 60% chance of light rain tonight. The next several days should be fairly uneventful weatherwise, with a mix of sun and clouds. There is also a slight chance for off and on showers through Thursday. High temps in Chico will mainly be in the 50s, while lows will be in the 30s. Looking ahead beyond the new year, it looks like an active weather pattern will set up for Northern California. There will be more days than not with rain, as several storms are poised to move in between January 1st and January 8th. This is according to Accuweather.com, and their extended forecasts are not the most reliable. Still, it gives me some hope that we could see a lot of moisture over the next couple of weeks. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

not too much rain in the forecast

Merry Christmas! The last couple of days in Chico have been gorgeous weather wise, with sunny skies and highs in the upper 50s to around 60 degrees. The low temps have been somewhat chilly- mainly in the lower 30s. That's not too far from where we should be this time of the year (mid 30s). The weather forecast looks somewhat unsettled over the next week, but don't expect a lot of rain or snow. It'll most likely be cloudy, with just a chance of some light sprinkles Sunday through next Thursday. Could this be the fourth below normal rainy season in a row for Northern California? I hope not, but if the past few months are any indication, the next few months don't look very good in terms of easing or eliminating the drought. Of course, Mother Nature is fickle, and we can't base future trends on past weather events. Anyway, I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far. Rest, relax, and enjoy the beautiful weather on tap for today! Here's the latest Chico forecast from the NWS:

Christmas Day: Sunny, with a high near 58. North northwest wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Northeast wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. North wind at 6 mph becoming southwest.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. South southeast wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Sunday: A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. East wind around 5 mph becoming northwest.

Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 54.

Tuesday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Wednesday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53.

Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Thursday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53.

fine weather ahead

Chico will see some very nice weather the next several days as high pressure builds in behind a storm that gave us over half an inch of rain the past two days. Sunny skies with highs in the lower 60s are expected through Sunday. Lows will also be very mild, only dipping into the lower 40s. The mild air is originating from the balmy southern Pacific Ocean, brought in by the last storm. As we head into late December, we start to experience our coldest weather on average in Chico. Climate normals for mid to late December are 55 degrees for the high and 35 degrees for the low. As you can see, we'll be well above that the next few days. It'll definitely feel more like March than December! Get out and enjoy the weather while doing your Christmas shopping this weekend. The next chance of rain will be early next week. It's too soon to tell how strong this next storm will be, but the picture should get clearer (more clear?) as we get closer to the anticipated storm event. For now, enjoy the mild weather!