heading into summer

It was a warm day in Chico yesterday, with a high temperature of 88 degrees. It will be about five degrees hotter today, as we creep into the mid 90s. Temperatures will remain above average for the next several days (the average high in Chico for mid-May is 81 degrees) as high pressure exerts its force over Northern California. This heat isn't too unusual; we sometimes see highs well into the 90s by the middle of May, and record highs well into the triple digits. In fact, due to our location in the Sacramento Valley, record highs in the triple digits have occurred well into October! To say it gets hot here in the summer is an understatement. I am fairly confident this summer may be one of the hottest summers we've seen in a while. In my nearly 11 years of living here, the hottest summer was in 2006, when Chico saw 11 consecutive days at or above 100 degrees, with the hottest temperature during that stretch peaking at 112. Ugh! The all-time record high for Chico is 117, which occurred in August, 1972. I don't think we'll reach that this summer, but you never know. For Mother's Day (which is tomorrow, in case you've forgotten), it looks sunny in the Northstate, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Perhaps an indoor activity, such as brunch at one of Chico's many fine restaurants, is in order. Here's what the rest of Chico's weather looks like over the next seven days, courtesy of the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Tonight Clear, with a low around 64. East southeast wind 5 to 9 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east in the evening. Monday Sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 86. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 88. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 85. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Friday Sunny, with a high near 83.