becoming windy this week

Yesterday was a gorgeous day in the Northstate, with a high of 84 degrees in Chico under sunny skies. Today will be even better, with continued sunny skies and a high of only 74 degrees. Fall is definitely in the air. By Wednesday expect a slight chance of showers as a quick-moving storm slides through the area. This storm will also bring some snowflakes to the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada mountains by Wednesday night. In the valley, winds will increase tomorrow behind this front, gusting from the north between 25-30 mph. If you have any loose objects in the backyard, today may be the day to secure them. Winds will continue into Thursday before abating on Friday. Highs tomorrow will only be in the upper 60s (!) in Chico, warming into the mid 70s Thursday and upper 70s by Friday. The weekend looks dry and warm, with sunshine both Saturday and Sunday and highs in the mid 80s. The average high this time of year in Chico is around 87 degrees, so we should remain below that for the next seven days. Nice! Here's Chico's forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. East southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. North wind 8 to 10 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northwest wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North northwest wind 8 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 73. North northwest wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 49. Friday Sunny, with a high near 78. Friday Night Clear, with a low around 52. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 81. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 83. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Monday Sunny, with a high near 84.