below normal temps for next week

Happy Friday, Chicoans! Get ready for some fantastic fall weather this weekend! Highs will be in the upper 70s today through Sunday, with nothing but gorgeous sunshine and light winds. By Monday, the weather will shift to a much cooler, and potentially breezier, pattern. Highs for Monday and Tuesday of next week will not rise above 70 degrees (we should be around 75-76 degrees for late October). Highs will slowly rise to around normal by the middle of next week. What's causing this shift in the weather pattern is a storm originating from the Gulf of Alaska that doesn't have a lot of moisture to work with, but is packing cooler air. So, not much rain in the forecast (it's limited to widely scattered showers in the Sierra Nevada Monday and Monday night) but will drop the temperatures a bit. Monday may be a bit breezy, with northerly winds up to 25 mph from the north. It's another busy weekend full of fun events in Chico. Here is just a sampling: the Chico Independent Film Festival runs now through Sunday at 1078 Gallery; Pumpkinfest happens at the Chapmantown Farmers' Market today from 2-5pm; Les Miserables is being staged by the California Regional Theatre tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2pm; Young Frankenstein plays at Chico Theater Company tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2pm; Autumn Fest continues at the Patrick Ranch south of town all this weekend; Exotic Erotic Party is happening at Manzanita Place tomorrow night, featuring a sexy Halloween dance party; Fall Home and Garden Show at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds from 10am-5pm today, Saturday and Sunday; Haunted Park 5K in Bidwell Park, celebrating Halloween and raising funds for the Jesse Kohen Memorial Foundation, tomorrow at 8:30am; Open Studios Tour continues this weekend, with local artists' studios open all weekend for a chance to view the artists creating their works; and the Post-Apocalyptic Ride, in which Halloween-costumed bike riders ride around downtown, tomorrow night beginning at 7:30pm at Chico's Downtown Plaza. Whew! And that's only a sampling! For more events, check out the Chico News and Review's website link on the right hand side of my blog page (you may have to scroll down a little to locate it). Have a great weekend, Chico! Here's the detailed forecast for our beloved little city from the National Weather Service: This Afternoon Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Light west southwest wind. Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Calm wind. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Light and variable wind. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Calm wind. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 71. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 44. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 74.