latest on the upcoming storm

From the National Weather Service office in Sacramento:

A SERIES OF COLD FRONTS WILL SWEEP ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO COOL THIS WEEKEND AHEAD OF
THE FIRST FRONT...DUE TO ARRIVE MONDAY. RAIN SHOWERS WILL SPREAD
ACROSS THE REGION MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS MAY BRIEFLY
DROP TO AROUND 8500 FEET INCLUDING HIGHER PASSES SUCH AS SONORA
PASS AND THE HIGHWAY 89 SUMMIT AREA NEAR MT. LASSEN BY MONDAY
NIGHT. ONLY A LIGHT DUSTING OF SNOW IS EXPECTED INITIALLY.

A STRONGER COLD FRONT MAY SPREAD PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN
ACROSS THE VALLEYS AND FOOTHILLS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS MAY ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL
DROP TO 10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE 60S
IN THE VALLEY AND 40S IN THE MOUNTAINS ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS
MAY DROP TO AROUND 5500 FEET LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THIS
WILL BRING SNOW TO THE TRANS-SIERRA PASSES WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.
WHILE THE EXACT TIMING AND DETAILS OF THIS WEATHER SYSTEM ARE
STILL COMING INTO FOCUS...BE AWARE THAT WINTER TRAVELING
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER ALL TRANS-SIERRA PASSES WEDNESDAY INTO
THURSDAY.

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SLICK ROADS DUE TO THE FIRST RAIN
OF THE SEASON ALONG WITH ACCUMULATED OIL ON THE ROADWAYS. IN
ADDITION...BE PREPARED FOR WINTER-LIKE WEATHER ACROSS THE SIERRA.
RESIDENTS SHOULD ALSO BE PREPARED FOR OTHER IMPACTS OF THE WINDY
WET WEATHER. GUSTY WINDS COULD LEAD TO FALLEN LEAVES CLOGGING UP STORM
DRAINS CAUSING LOCALIZED STREET FLOODING. THERE COULD ALSO BE POWER
OUTAGES SHOULD BRANCHES OR SMALL TREES FALL AND DAMAGE POWER
LINES. SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOODING MAY ALSO OCCUR DURING
PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WHICH COULD IMPACT ROAD TRAVEL.

A SHOWERY AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS MAY REMAIN OVER THE REGION
INTO THURSDAY. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING UNSETTLED
WEATHER.

seriously stormy weather coming

The detailed seven day forecast for Chico seems to downplay the seriousness of this major storm expected to arrive late Tuesday of next week. However, reading the Special Weather Statements from the National Weather Service, there's little doubt this storm is going to be big and impactful. I believe this storm may be a remnant of a typhoon (although I don't know which one; I haven't been keeping track)- hence the likelihood of strong winds and heavy rain beginning Tuesday and lasting into Wednesday. Falling leaves from the strong winds may clog gutters, leading to localized urban flooding. All of the deciduous trees in Chico still have leaves on them, so the heavy weight of snapping and falling branches onto power lines may cause power outages. Heavy, accumulating snow is likely above 7000 feet in the Sierra Nevada mountains initially, falling to around 6000 feet by Wednesday. Travel will be impacted by this storm, so plan accordingly. What a change in the weather we're going to see over the next several days! High temperatures yesterday and today have been in the mid 90s under blazingly sunny skies, but temps will cool into the mid 70s by this weekend. Temperatures will cool even more by next week, with highs only in the lower to mid 60s! Get ready for the first big storm of the rainy season, Chico! Also, I wanted to let you know of some events happening this weekend in Chico. Sir Salman Rushdie will be speaking at Laxson Auditorium this evening. The world famous National Yo-Yo Competition will be held at City Plaza downtown on Saturday. Competitors from all over the world converge on Chico for this annual event. It's a lot of fun to watch. Finally, Artoberfest has kicked off in Chico and Butte County, and some events related to this are happening this weekend. I've added a link to their website on my blog; check it out and see which arts events tickle your fancy. Have a fun and safe weekend, and prepare for stormy weather! Here's the seven day forecast for Chico from the NWS:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind between 8 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind between 11 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. South wind around 8 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming southeast.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Monday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74.

Monday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.

Tuesday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 53.

Wednesday: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 66.

Wednesday Night: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.

major change in the weather coming?

There seems to b a storm brewing and it may affect us here in the Northstate next week with rain, wind, and snow in the higher elevations. At least that's what the National Weather Service is hinting at around Tuesday of next week. What's more immediate is the drastic change in temperatures. After seeing highs in the mid 80s yesterday and the low 90s today, expect two more days of highs above 90 degrees before much cooler temps begin to influence our weather. We're talking highs only in the 70s for this weekend, and 60s for next week! This forecast is tentative and may change, but expect drastic changes in the weather over the next several days. Another sign of fall- earlier sunsets. The sun now sets before 7 pm. I like it- to me it's a sign of cooler weather ahead and you snuggle up in the evening with the man or woman you love. I know, I'm a hopeless romantic! Here's the detailed seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Northwest wind between 7 and 10 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. North northwest wind at 6 mph becoming southwest.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South southeast wind around 8 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 73.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Monday: A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.

Monday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Tuesday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a high near 67.

cool and showery day

It was a fairly unusual day weatherwise today in Chico, as it remained overcast for a good portion of the day and temps were stuck in the 60s. A few scattered showers dotted the area, amounting to between a trace of precipitation and about .02". Dry and sunny weather will return tomorrow, and temperatures will warm back into the lower 90s by Tuesday and Wednesday. Another cooldown will affect us by next weekend, with highs in the mid 80s. That's about where we should be for the end of September. Overnight lows through the next seven days will be in the 50s to lower 60s. Right now there is just isolated pockets of fall color in Chico, as some of the pistache trees are beginning to turn yellow and orange. Expect the fall foliage to accelerate in the next few weeks as temps continue to cool and the hours of daylight continue to dwindle. Here is the seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming northwest between 5 and 8 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. North northwest wind between 3 and 7 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. North northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

new link added

I've added a link to Weather Underground displaying current temperature and weather conditions in Chico. I will continue to use the National Weather Service for the official forecasts, but you can also click on the Weather Underground display to compare their forecast to the NWS forecasts. I should have added this to my blog a long time ago!

time for this heat to go

Chico has seen temperatures both yesterday and today in the mid 90s (97 degrees yesterday, 95 degrees currently). We have now seen five consecutive days at or above 90 degrees. Add two more days to that tally, as highs tomorrow will be back in the mid 90s, and around 90 degrees for Saturday. Saturday will be the transition day between the hot weather we've seen and the cooler air we will see. In fact, high temps between Saturday and Sunday will drop nearly 15 degrees! Highs by next work (and school) week will rebound into the mid 80s, but we should stay below 90 degrees through much of next week. Bring on fall! Fall begins tomorrow morning at 2:05 am PDT. Here is the detailed forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 61. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind between 10 and 14 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87.

hot through the work week

Today was day three of 90 degree plus temperatures in Chico- with a high (so far) of 97 degrees. Yesterday's high was 95, while Sunday's high was 91 degrees. Expect the heat to continue through Friday, with highs stuck in the mid to upper 90s. By Saturday, another trough will swing through to our north, cooling the temperatures down to the mid 80s by Sunday. Nice! I am SO ready for fall! Here is the detailed forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 62. West northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. North northwest wind at 5 mph becoming west southwest.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 62. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 6 mph.

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

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.