change in the weather coming

Yesterday and today have been hot in Chico, with yesterday's high a scorching 99 degrees, and the current temp (and so far high temperature today) at 97 degrees. Hot weather will persist through the end of the week, with Friday possibly being the hottest day this week. Temps on that day are expected to reach or even surpass 100 degrees. However, a low pressure trough will begin influencing our weather late this week and into this weekend. Isolated thunderstorms will form over the higher elevations of Northern California by Friday, and there is even a slight chance of thunderstorms for some valley locations for Saturday and Sunday. What's more significant is the reduction in temperatures. By Sunday highs will cool down (cool being a relative term) to around 90 degrees- right where Chico should be for the average high temperature for early September. Highs will creep back into the mid 90s by early next week. Here are the details for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. North northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. North northeast wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Northeast wind between 8 and 13 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 90.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

yearning for fall

I got a small taste of fall this past weekend, as I was camping near the Napa Valley. Overnight temperatures dropped into the mid 50s, and it felt wonderful. It made me yearn for crisp, sunny days and falling yellow and orange leaves- of hay rides and bulky sweatshirts, sipping cider and searching for the perfect pumpkin. It'll happen eventually here in Chico, but I'll have to be a bit patient. While I was camping, the weather here in Chico was fairly typical for this time of year-sunny skies, with highs over the Labor Day weekend mainly in the mid 90s and overnight lows in the lower 60s. That will be our weather for the next several days, as high pressure continues to control our weather. Here are the details from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 61. East southeast wind around 6 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. East wind at 6 mph becoming west.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. North northwest wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. North northeast wind around 6 mph becoming west southwest.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 65. South wind around 6 mph becoming northeast.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.

hot for the next seven days

After a pretty hot 97 degrees today, I'm ready for some fall- like weather. I'm going to have to wait awhile, as strong high pressure will anchor itself over the west coast of the U.S. the next seven days. Typically many cities in California, particularly along the coast, see some of the hottest weather of the year during the month of September. This year will be no exception. High temps in the upper 90s, and lows in the warm (for this time of year) mid 60s will dominate the weather forecast for the Sacramento Valley over the next several days. I'm sure the fire risk is elevated currently, as we've been dry for over two months. We've also seen fairly gusty north winds today, which are downsloping winds. These downsloping winds heat and dry out the air, so watch where you burn. In fact, I advise to not burn anything at all outdoors. The risk is too great. I'm going camping down in Napa this weekend, so I'll return next week to resume blogging. Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend! Here's Chico's seven day detailed forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 65. North northwest wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. North northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. Northwest wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Light and variable wind.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. South wind at 5 mph becoming north northeast.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Labor Day: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98.

brief cooldown, then heat returns

Yesterday and today have been cooler than what Chico has seen recently, with highs yesterday in the lower 90s and today hovering in the upper 80s. Unfortunately, this will not last, as highs tomorrow through Labor Day will be in the mid 90s. By the middle of next week, high temps could reach 100 degrees! How odd that as we begin climatological autumn, we see some of the hottest temperatures so far this year. Here are the details for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 60. North northwest wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 93. North northwest wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 60. North wind around 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. North northwest wind around 7 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 62. North northwest wind around 6 mph becoming east northeast.

Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Labor Day: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98.

hot

That's the one word to describe Chico's weather the past four days, as high temps have climbed into the upper 90s. Today has been the hottest day of the past four, with a high temp of 99 degrees. We'll have one more hot day tomorrow, with highs again in the upper 90s, before temps cool down to the lower 90s beginning Tuesday (right where we should be for late August). This cooler weather should last into the Labor Day weekend. The weather will remain dry and sunny through next weekend. Here are the details for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 64. South wind between 5 and 8 mph becoming calm.

Monday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Light west wind.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. South southeast wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 64.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

hot and slightly humid today

A weak weather system is moving northeastward from the Pacific Ocean over northern California today. As that system moves into Oregon later this evening it may touch off some very isolated thundershowers over some of the higher elevations of the Northstate. Most of these storms, should they develop, will not have much rain with them. They will have plenty of lightning, which could set off some forest fires. Currently it is hot in Chico, with the present temperature at 96 degrees under partly cloudy skies. Dewpoints are in the 40s, bringing a slight touch of humidity to the air. The seven day forecast doesn't call for much change in temperatures- mainly in the low to mid 90s for highs. Here are the specifics for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. South southeast wind between 5 and 9 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 64. South southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east southeast.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. South wind around 7 mph becoming east.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

cooler than normal weather rolls on

Today's high temperature in Chico was 89 degrees. The normal high is around 92 degrees. In fact, the past several days have seen temps at or below normal in Chico. If this trend continues, we may have one of the coolest summers on record. The forecast for the next seven days calls for sunny skies and clear nights, with highs right around 91-92 degrees, and lows in the lower 60s. I went to Lassen National Volcanic Park yesterday, and the weather there was fantastic! It was sunny, with temps in the 60s and 70s. Everything was green, and there were multi-colored wildflowers growing along the slopes of Lassen Peak. The pics above are from my trip there yesterday. For those who don't know, Lassen Peak is located about 65 miles north-northeast of Chico. The mountain is over 10,000 feet above sea level, and it's the southernmost peak of the Cascade Mountain range. Even this late in the year, there was a little bit of snow at the top of the peak. I really do love it up there. Have a great week!