cooling off

The past two days in Chico have seen drastically cooler temperatures. Yesterday's high temp was just 86 degrees, while today's high was 89 degrees. Meanwhile, the mountains to our east have seen quite a bit of thunderstorm activity the past few days, and that should continue through midweek. If you have plans in the mountains the next few days, keep this in mind and seek shelter if you hear thunder. If you can hear thunder, lightning is close by. Back here in the valley, expect seasonable temperatures the next few days as highs hover right around 90 degrees. There will be a drastic drop in temps by the end of the week- upper 70s to low 80s by Friday! A little tease of some fall weather by Mother Nature. This will be brief, however, as by the end of next weekend we'll be back above 90 degrees. Here is the seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind at 6 mph becoming east.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind around 6 mph.

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

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 89.

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

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 80.

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

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

end of a hot day in Chico

A cool photo of an ominous looking sunset taken about 20 minutes ago from my back porch. It was a hot one today, with a high temperature in Chico of 108 degrees. I think the sunset looks the way it does due to possible smoke from other wildfires burning in other areas; also possibly due to haze and pollution.

very hot today

It has been a very hot day today in Chico, with a high temperature at the airport so far at 106 degrees. The sky today has had a very odd look to it, as a low pressure system has brought more humid and hazy conditions to our area. So far only very isolated thunderstorms have erupted, mainly over the Sierra. There is a slight chance (20%) that the valley could see one of those storms pop up this evening; otherwise, expect warm and muggy conditions overnight tonight. More hot weather is likely tomorrow, but not as hot as today- mainly mid 90s for highs. By Sunday expect cooler temps, as highs peak right around 90 degrees. Forecast highs the rest of the work week next week should remain around 90 degrees. Also, Chico and surrounding areas are still under a Red Flag Warning through tomorrow afternoon for potentially severe fire conditions due to expected dry lightning strikes. Also, the Taste of Chico, an annual event celebrating the many excellent local restaurants we have, is happening in downtown Chico this Sunday. The weather should be fine for this event, so enjoy! Here is the detailed forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Isolated thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. North wind between 7 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 96. North northwest wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. South southeast wind between 6 and 9 mph.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 91.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

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

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 91.

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

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Red Flag Warning in effect for heightened fire danger

A low pressure system now over the interior West will retrograde south and west into our area tomorrow. This will bring an increased chance of thunderstorms to the valley and Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains. Dry lightning may accompany these storms, potentially sparking wildfires tomorrow afternoon through Saturday night. Here is the latest statement from the National Weather Service:

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM FRIDAY TO 11 PM PDT
SATURDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE ZONES 213...
215...216...263...266 AND 279...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM FRIDAY TO 11 PM PDT
SATURDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONES 213...215...216... 263...266...AND
279. THESE INCLUDE THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SACRAMENTO
VALLEY...THE NORTHEAST SACRAMENTO VALLEY FOOTHILLS... NORTHERN
SHASTA COUNTY...AND THE MENDOCINO MOUNTAINS FROM SOUTHWEST
SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY.

* WIND: NORTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 30 MPH WILL
DEVELOP ALONG THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY AND
ALONG THE MENDOCINO MOUNTAINS EARLY FRIDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH
SATURDAY. ALONG THE NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS...NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO
20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS THROUGH CANYONS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

* HUMIDITY: AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL BE IN THE SINGLE
DIGITS TO LOWER TEENS. OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY WILL ONLY RECOVER INTO
THE 10S TO AROUND 30 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS: VERY DRY FUELS...GUSTY NORTH WINDS AND VERY DRY
CONDITIONS WITH POOR OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY WILL CREATE POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EARLY FRIDAY THROUGH LATE
SATURDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

change in the weather coming

Yesterday and today have been hot in Chico, with yesterday's high a scorching 99 degrees, and the current temp (and so far high temperature today) at 97 degrees. Hot weather will persist through the end of the week, with Friday possibly being the hottest day this week. Temps on that day are expected to reach or even surpass 100 degrees. However, a low pressure trough will begin influencing our weather late this week and into this weekend. Isolated thunderstorms will form over the higher elevations of Northern California by Friday, and there is even a slight chance of thunderstorms for some valley locations for Saturday and Sunday. What's more significant is the reduction in temperatures. By Sunday highs will cool down (cool being a relative term) to around 90 degrees- right where Chico should be for the average high temperature for early September. Highs will creep back into the mid 90s by early next week. Here are the details for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. North northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. North northeast wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Northeast wind between 8 and 13 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 90.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.

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

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 93.

yearning for fall

I got a small taste of fall this past weekend, as I was camping near the Napa Valley. Overnight temperatures dropped into the mid 50s, and it felt wonderful. It made me yearn for crisp, sunny days and falling yellow and orange leaves- of hay rides and bulky sweatshirts, sipping cider and searching for the perfect pumpkin. It'll happen eventually here in Chico, but I'll have to be a bit patient. While I was camping, the weather here in Chico was fairly typical for this time of year-sunny skies, with highs over the Labor Day weekend mainly in the mid 90s and overnight lows in the lower 60s. That will be our weather for the next several days, as high pressure continues to control our weather. Here are the details from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 61. East southeast wind around 6 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. East wind at 6 mph becoming west.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. North northwest wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. North northeast wind around 6 mph becoming west southwest.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 65. South wind around 6 mph becoming northeast.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.

hot for the next seven days

After a pretty hot 97 degrees today, I'm ready for some fall- like weather. I'm going to have to wait awhile, as strong high pressure will anchor itself over the west coast of the U.S. the next seven days. Typically many cities in California, particularly along the coast, see some of the hottest weather of the year during the month of September. This year will be no exception. High temps in the upper 90s, and lows in the warm (for this time of year) mid 60s will dominate the weather forecast for the Sacramento Valley over the next several days. I'm sure the fire risk is elevated currently, as we've been dry for over two months. We've also seen fairly gusty north winds today, which are downsloping winds. These downsloping winds heat and dry out the air, so watch where you burn. In fact, I advise to not burn anything at all outdoors. The risk is too great. I'm going camping down in Napa this weekend, so I'll return next week to resume blogging. Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend! Here's Chico's seven day detailed forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 65. North northwest wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. North northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. Northwest wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Light and variable wind.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. South wind at 5 mph becoming north northeast.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Labor Day: Sunny, with a high near 93.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 62.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98.