warmer this week

Ah yes, another work week staring us in the face. At least the weather will be nice so we can cope with the work stress. It's going to be warmer than previously thought, as this ridge of high pressure strengthens over us. Sinking air and light winds, along with a relatively high sun angle, will allow temps to warm into the upper 70s to lower 80s this week. We should be around 80 degrees for our average high this time of year, so this is not unusual. Overnight lows will be generally in the upper 40s. No rain is in the forecast as we head into what is typically the start of our rainy season. Have a great week! Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Columbus Day Sunny, with a high near 78. North northeast wind around 8 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Tonight Clear, with a low around 49. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph becoming northeast after midnight. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 80. North wind 6 to 9 mph. Tuesday Night Clear, with a low around 49. Northeast wind around 8 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the morning. Wednesday Night Clear, with a low around 49. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 78. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Friday Sunny, with a high near 79. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 78. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 76.

continued sunny and mild

The gorgeous fall weather keeps on rollin'. I can pretty much sum up the forecast for the next seven days in one sentence: sunny days and clear nights, with highs in the lower to middle 70s and lows in the upper 40s. There, now you're updated. It's another hopping weekend in Chico, as many events are scheduled. Here's a brief rundown of a few select happenings: Autumnfest at the Patrick Ranch, featuring artwork on display, hay rides, farm animals and a pumpkin patch; Harvest Sidewalk Sale in downtown Chico, "showcasing inventory and bargains from your favorite downtown businesses" (Chico News and Review); Parade of Lights, happening tonight in downtown Chico, which, as its name suggests, is a parade featuring cool light spectacles and this year's theme of "Dancin' Through the Decades;" the Sierra Oro Farm Trail Passport Weekend, in which wineries and farms all over Butte County throw open their doors to the public for tours and tastings; the 1078 Fest, occurring tomorrow, which is a fund raiser for the art gallery to purchase a new PA system, and features food and live music at the popular art gallery; and the Monster Dash, a 5k fun-run and fall festival event featuring costumes, face painting, and carnival games, taking place at One Mile in Bidwell Park tomorrow. Also, Artoberfest and Chico Experience Week happenings continue this weekend. There are other events happening all this weekend; to find a complete list, check out the 2013 Best of Chico edition of the Chico News and Review, with a link on the right side of my home page. Chico is a busy little town! Oh, and there are fall colors that are beginning to emerge in Chico right now, so get out your camera and take some gorgeous pics of the foliage! Here's the official seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 46. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming north in the evening. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 74. North wind 7 to 9 mph. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 48. North northeast wind around 8 mph. Columbus Day Sunny, with a high near 76. North wind around 8 mph. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 77. Tuesday Night Clear, with a low around 46. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 77. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 77. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Friday Sunny, with a high near 76.

breezy and cooler

The past few days in Chico have seen highs in the low to mid 80s with a mix of sun and clouds. It will be cooler and breezy today and tomorrow, as a weak cold front moves through the area. This cold front will bring a few inches of snow to the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, but no rain to our area. Expect mostly sunny skies today, along with north winds to around 20 mph and plenty of sunshine. Highs today will only be in the lower to mid 70s. Our average high this time of year is 83 degrees, but we won't be anywhere near that the next seven days. Mild autumn weather will be the rule, with sunshine and highs in the mid 70s through early next week. Overnight lows will be in the upper 40s. That will encourage the trees in Chico to advance their fall colors! I'm going to need to start taking pics of the fall foliage as peak color may happen by the end of the month- about two weeks earlier than usual. Enjoy this stretch of fall weather! Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light west northwest after midnight. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 73. North northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 48. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Friday Sunny, with a high near 74. Light and variable wind. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 75. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 75. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Columbus Day Sunny, with a high near 76. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 76.

nice autumn weather

It was a beautiful, warm first weekend of October here in Chico, with yesterday's high temperature of 85 degrees (our average high this time of year) and 83 degrees today. This morning's low was a chilly 45 degrees (we should be around 50 for early October). Looking ahead over the next several days, it will begin cooling down, with highs dropping from the upper 70s tomorrow to the lower 70s by Wednesday and Thursday. A weak trough of low pressure will be skirting our area, bringing just a slight chance of a shower midweek, and a dusting to a few inches of snow for the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. By the end of the week, highs will warm into the mid 70s, but that is still well below normal for early October. Overnight lows the next seven days will range from the upper 40s to lower 50s. Perfect fall weather! Here is Chico's extended forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 52. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the evening. Monday Sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming south southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 8 mph in the evening. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. South wind 7 to 10 mph becoming north northwest in the morning. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. North wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 71. Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 48. Friday Sunny, with a high near 74. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 74. Saturday Night Clear, with a low around 51. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 76.

OMG! I love this time of year!

Sorry, I couldn't contain my excitement. Other than the breezy conditions, the past two days have been simply gorgeous here in Northern California, with sunshine and temperatures ranging from the mid 70s to lower 80s. Combined with the very dry air and low humidity levels, it has been pleasant. Expect more of the same kind of weather, with diminishing winds by tomorrow evening. A Wind Advisory is still in effect until 5 pm tomorrow, and a Red Flag Warning for high fire danger (due to the winds and low humidity) is in effect until Saturday morning. Other than that, look for pleasant weather- sunshine and highs in the mid 70s to lower 80s. Overnight lows will be in the lower to mid 50s. Some of the deciduous trees in Chico are already beginning to show off some of their fall colors, about three weeks early. This weather is encouraging that, so the fall colors will only become more numerous over time. I'm sure the fall foliage in the Sierra Nevada mountains is already nearing peak color. Normal peak color in the mountains is usually mid to late October. This weekend may be a perfect opportunity to capture that color in photographs. Another reason I love this time of year is the busy calendar- everything from art festivals to corn mazes and hayrides are in abundance right now in the Chico area. A brief listing of some events this first weekend of October: The Corn Maze in nearby Orland, Artoberfest (happening all month at various locations in Chico and surrounding locations), the Focus Film Festival (a festival celebrating diversity in film, with opening night tonight at Sierra Nevada Brewery, then moving to the Chico State campus this weekend), Sierra Nevada Brewery's Oktoberfest this Friday and Saturday, and the big event this weekend- the National Yo-Yo Contest at Downtown Plaza, in which hundreds of competitors from across the country and around the world compete for world yo-yo dominance. It is an action-packed and fun weekend, and the weather will be beautiful. Get out and enjoy what Chico has to offer! Here is Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Clear, with a low around 50. North wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Friday Sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Friday Night Clear, with a low around 50. Northeast wind around 10 mph. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 81. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northwest in the morning. Saturday Night Clear, with a low around 52. West northwest wind around 6 mph becoming east northeast in the evening. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 81. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Monday Sunny, with a high near 79. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 73. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 75. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 75.

windy weather

It must be October- a very turbulent and changeable month. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THURSDAY TO 5 PM PDT FRIDAY. * WINDS: NORTH 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. * TIMING: WINDS INCREASING BY DAWN THURSDAY MORNING AND PEAK LATE THURSDAY THROUGH MID DAY FRIDAY. * LOCATIONS INCLUDE: SACRAMENTO...VACAVILLE...CHICO...REDDING. * IMPACTS: DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. UNSECURED OBJECTS MAY BLOW AROUND. DOWNED BRANCHES COULD CAUSE LOCAL POWER OUTAGES. And, despite the recent rain, it is still dry out there. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM THURSDAY TO 7 AM PDT SATURDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 216 CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY IN GLENN, COLUSA, YUBA, NORTHERN SUTTER, AND BUTTE COUNTY BELOW 1000 FT...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 217 SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY IN YOLO-SACRAMENTO FAR WESTERN PLACER, SOUTHERN SUTTER AND SOLANO COUNTY BELOW 1000 FT...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 218 CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 264 LAKE COUNTY PORTION OF LAKE-NAPA- SONOMA UNIT. * WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 10 PERCENT DURING THE DAY AND AREAS OF 20 TO 30 PERCENT OVERNIGHT. * TIMING...THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY MORNING. * IMPACTS...BREEZY AND GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ALONG WITH DRY FUELS WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WHERE ANY NEW IGNITIONS COULD SEE RAPID FIRE GROWTH. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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.

nice weather for awhile

Welcome to October! It was blustery in Chico the past couple of days, but the Wind Advisory was not warranted. The highest gust occurred Sunday afternoon, with a speed of 35 mph from the south at the Chico Airport. No accumulation of precipitation, either, as the rain stayed far to our north over Trinity and Siskiyou Counties. Today should be sunny after the morning overcast burns off, with highs only in the lower 70s. Highs will remain in the 70s tomorrow and Thursday, as well. A bit of a warm-up occurs late in the week, with highs in the lower to mid 80s Friday through Sunday. Highs will drop back into the 70s for early next week. Sunshine will be the dominant feature in the forecast this week, as no rain is expected the next seven days. All in all, a nice fall forecast. Here's Chico's seven day outlook from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 72. Southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 76. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest in the morning. Wednesday Night Clear, with a low around 49. North wind 7 to 10 mph. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 50. Friday Sunny, with a high near 80. Friday Night Clear, with a low around 52. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 81. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 82. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. Monday Sunny, with a high near 79.