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.