Thursday, July 14, 2011

unusually cool weather

While the Great Plains and the Midwest swelter under upper 90s and triple digit heat, we here on the West Coast continue to enjoy cooler than average temperatures. Yesterday's high temp in Chico was only 80 degrees, and today's high was 82 degrees. To put that in perspective, we should be at 93 degrees this time of year. The below average weather will continue for the forseeable future, with daytime highs creeping into the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week. Still, it's below average, and we could be well into the 100s by this time of year. In fact, five years ago this week began a string of 100+ degree days in Chico- 11 in a row! The hottest temperature was reached on the 22nd of July, 2006, when the mercury climbed to 113 degrees! That is not an all time record for Chico- that occured on August 1, 1972, and the record high for that date (and all time) was 117 degrees. So again, we could be far hotter than we've been. I'm definitely enjoying this weather right now! Here's the seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:


Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind between 8 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
degrees this time of year.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 83. South southeast wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 57. South southeast wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 58.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 87.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 60.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Monday, July 11, 2011

If only summer were like this all the time...

The high temperature in Chico today was 83 degrees- 10 degrees below the average of 93 for this date. It only gets better in the short term: highs only in the 70s for Wednesday! Also unusual for this time of year is a slight chance of showers Wednesday morning as a trough of low pressure brushes Northern California. A pool of cool marine air over the Pacific will be ushered in on southerly breezes from this low pressure system during the mid and latter part of this week. Alas, this nice break from the heat will be short- lived, as the heat will return by early next week. Enjoy this weather while it lasts! Here is the detailed seven day forecast from Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 55. South southeast wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 82. Light wind becoming south southeast between 10 and 13 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South southeast wind between 8 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday: A slight chance of rain before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. South wind between 6 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. South southeast wind around 7 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

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

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

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

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 84.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

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

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

cooler air has arrived

The high temperature today in Chico was 92 degrees. The air was moderated thanks to southeast winds blowing up to 15 mph. These winds helped to carry cooler marine air from the Sacramento River Delta, which feeds into the Pacific Ocean. The southerly flow should intensify tomorrow through the middle of next week, and the high temps in Chico will respond. Forecast highs by Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the lower to mid 80s! That's nearly 10 degrees below normal. I call this Mother Nature's air conditioning. I'm glad Chico is located where it is, fairly close to the Delta. The further north you go in the Sacramento Valley, the less the Delta breeze's effects have on the hot temperatures. Sacramento really lucks out, as it is only about 30-40 miles from the Delta. Sactown's forecast highs for early next week will be around 80 degrees! That is very nice for this time of year in this part of the country. Enjoy, for the triple digit heat will return soon enough! Here is the seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 91. South southeast wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 60. Southeast wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88. South wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 59. South southeast wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

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

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

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

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

cooler temps still scheduled to appear

The timeframe for these cooler temperatures may be delayed a bit. It looks like early next week we'll see milder, more seasonable temperatures as the Delta breeze begins to pump up cooler marine air from the south. For the next few days temps will still hover in the mid 90s. Today was noticeably cooler, with the high in Chico reaching only 93 degrees. This was a drastic difference from yesterday, when the high was 98 degrees. Monsoonal moisture is flowing northward from the Gulf of California, resulting in higher humidity and thunderstorm chances over the Sierra Nevada mountains. If traveling to the mountains this weekend, keep an eye to the sky for a thunderboomer or two. Otherwise, it is typical summer weather here in the Northstate. Here is the detailed forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Northwest wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming northwest between 7 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. North northwest wind at 7 mph becoming east.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 94. South wind between 3 and 7 mph.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind around 7 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 60.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 60.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

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

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 85.

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

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

cooldown just in time for the weekend

Another triple digit day as the high temperature in Chico reached 100 degrees. It looks like we'll have two more days of hot weather, with temps tomorrow and Thursday in the upper 90s. The cooldown (relatively speaking) will occur Friday, as temps dip into the lower 90s for highs. Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday will also be in the lower 90s, but the more dramatic reduction in the heat will happen early next week. Monday and next Tuesday will see highs only in the mid to upper 80s! For Chico this time of year, that's nice! Hope everyone had a nice Fourth of July! It was a hot one here in Chico, with yesterday's high around 99 degrees. Here's looking forward to the weekend! The seven day Chico forecast from the National Weather Service follows:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Calm wind becoming south between 4 and 7 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming south between 6 and 9 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Southeast wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 87.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Hot as a firecracker!

Okay, actually it wasn't literally as hot as a firecracker today. However, it was hot, with the high temp in Chico reaching 103 degrees, aided by the high sun angle and downsloping west/ northwest winds gusting to 22 mph. Today is now the hottest day of 2011 so far in Chico, and the triple digit heat will last through Wednesday before a moderation in temperatures occurs late in the week. Forecast highs on Thursday and Friday will be in the mid 90s, while next weekend highs will only be in the lower 90s. Lows will range from the low to middle 60s the next seven days. So yes, it is hot, but not as hot as we've seen in years past. But, we've got a lot of summer left! Also, if you're going to see any of the fireworks displays in Butte County tomorrow evening, it will be dry, with temperatures at 9pm in the mid 80s. Here is the seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 66. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 5 mph.

Independence Day: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 66. South southeast wind at 5 mph becoming east northeast.

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 101. Light and variable wind.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 70. Light and variable wind.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 65.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 64.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90.

Friday, July 1, 2011

interesting weather stats

This is for all the weather geeks out there (like me!). From the National Weather Service office in Sacramento:

THE MAJORITY OF INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ENDED UP WITH ABOVE
NORMAL RAINFALL THIS WATER YEAR...

THE JULY 1, 2010 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2011 WATER YEAR PRECIPITATION
TOTALS GENERALLY FELL BETWEEN 110% AND 140% OF NORMAL. THIS WAS
DESPITE A VERY DRY JANUARY, WHICH NORMALLY PROVIDES A HIGHER
PERCENTAGE OF ANNUAL RAINFALL THAN ANY OTHER MONTH.

THE 2010-2011 PRECIPITATION SEASON WAS DOMINATED BY A MODERATE TO
STRONG LA NINA. IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, LA NINA WINTERS TREND TOWARD
NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN THE SIERRA AND SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL
RAINFALL IN THE VALLEYS. LA NINA HAS A TENDENCY TO PRODUCE EARLY
SEASON SHOWERY STORM SYSTEMS THAT DROP INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THESE CAN BE FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF WARMER
AND DRIER WEATHER, AND LATER BY COLD OUTBREAKS IN DECEMBER, JANUARY
AND FEBRUARY.

LA NINA WINTERS TEND TO END EARLY AND ARE OFTEN FOLLOWED BY A WARM
SPRING AND SUMMER. STRONGER LA NINA/S HAVE A CORRELATION TOWARD
ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SNOW OFTEN FALLS IN THE SIERRA
IN SHORT, INTENSE BURSTS. THERE CAN BE LONG BREAKS BETWEEN STORMY
PATTERNS, SIMILAR TO THE ONE WE SAW FROM JANUARY THROUGH
MID-FEBRUARY OF 2011.

THE EPIC SNOWFALL THAT OCCURRED IN THE SIERRA IN MARCH WAS PARTIALLY
CAUSED BY STRONG BURSTS OF ENERGY EMANATING FROM THE WESTERN
PACIFIC. ADDITIONALLY, A TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM (KONA LOW)
DEVELOPED NEAR HAWAII. THIS PICKED UP COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE
FROM THE TROPICS WHICH BECAME ENTRAINED INTO THE JET STREAM AND MOVED
OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. MANY STATIONS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SIERRA SET MONTHLY SNOWFALL RECORDS IN MARCH.

IN THE VALLEYS, DECEMBER RAINFALL WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL IN DECEMBER,
BUT A FULL 2 TO 5 INCHES BELOW NORMAL IN JANUARY. STORMINESS
INCREASED BY MID-FEBRUARY, BUT REDDING AND RED BLUFF STILL RECEIVED
BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH. PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM ABOVE
NORMAL TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR MARCH DEPENDING ON THE TRACKS OF
INDIVIDUAL STORM SYSTEMS. APRIL PRECIPITATION WAS SOMEWHAT BELOW
NORMAL WHILE MAY WAS A COOL AND SHOWERY MONTH. THE THE COOL AND
SHOWERY WEATHER SEEMED TO GO ON AND ON THIS SPRING. HOWEVER, ON
AVERAGE THE MONTH OF MAY CONTRIBUTES ONLY 4 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL
SEASONAL RAINFALL, SO STATISTICALLY THIS DID NOT PAD PRECIPITATION
TOTALS IN THE VALLEYS ALL THAT MUCH.

THE WET SPRING WAS NOT ENOUGH TO BRING RED BLUFF BACK TO NORMAL
PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR THE SEASON. HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF
INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ENDED UP WITH ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL
THIS WATER YEAR.

HERE ARE RAINFALL TOTALS FROM SEVERAL STATIONS ACROSS THE CENTRAL
VALLEY...FROM REDDING IN THE NORTH...TO MODESTO IN THE SOUTH.

STATION WATER YEAR TOTAL NORMAL WATER YEAR PERCENT
(JULY 2010- TOTAL OF
JUNE 2011) NORMAL

REDDING AP............. 36.36 ............. 33.52 ..........108%

RED BLUFF AP........... 20.02 ............. 24.16 .......... 83%

SACRAMENTO EXEC. AP.....23.98 ............. 17.93 ..........134%

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO.... 24.83 ............. 19.87 ..........125%

STOCKTON AP.............16.52 ............. 13.84 ..........119%

MODESTO AP..............15.36 ............. 13.12 ..........117%