warm weekend, followed by a chilly week

Wow! The high temperature yesterday at the Chico State University Farm on the south side of town was 74 degrees! On Valentine's Day! The normal high for February 14th is 61 degrees. So, yeah, it was warm. The warmth was aided by those gusty, downsloping, northwesterly winds that were clocking in at speeds of over 25 mph during the afternoon yesterday. The winds won't be quite as fierce today, but with sunshine and mild air already in place, highs will have no problem reaching 70 degrees this afternoon. The weekend looks gorgeous, with sunny skies and highs in the mid to upper 60s. Get out and enjoy the blossoming of the almond orchards outside of town. By Tuesday, however, a change will occur as a cold low pressure system drops south from the Gulf of Alaska. Highs on Tuesday will be 20 degrees colder than they were yesterday! Look for the off-and-on showery weather to continue through next Thursday, with highs only reaching the mid 50s. Overnight lows next week will be around freezing, which doesn't bode well for the almond trees that are blossoming currently. We'll have to see how long this cold snap lasts to know the extent of any damage to the almond trees. For now, enjoy the fantastic weather this weekend! Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today Sunny, with a high near 69. South wind 6 to 9 mph becoming north northwest in the morning. Tonight Clear, with a low around 39. Northeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 68. East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming west northwest in the morning. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North northeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 66. North northeast wind 6 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the morning. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Washington's Birthday Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Monday Night A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 38. Tuesday Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Tuesday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Wednesday A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Thursday A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.

continued mild, but a change is coming

The mild stretch of 60 degree plus temperatures will continue through this weekend; however, a weather pattern change will occur early next week. Details are scarce at this point, as the various weather computer models do not agree, but a cold and wet pattern looks to set up shop over Northern California and affect our weather for several days. Low snow levels are predicted, but the National Weather Service will not state how low at this early stage. Just keep checking back for updates. Personally, I'm glad the wet weather is returning. I was worried we would end up having another drought situation on our hands. And, we still may, if the wet weather is fleeting. Only time will tell. For now, here is what the NWS is predicting for Chico: Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Calm wind becoming north northeast 5 to 7 mph in the evening. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 69. North northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 40. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Friday Sunny, with a high near 69. North northwest wind around 6 mph. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast in the evening. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 68. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Washington's Birthday Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Monday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Tuesday A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Tuesday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Wednesday A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.

high pressure large and in charge

This weekend was gorgeous in Chico, with sunny skies and high temperatures in the low to mid 60s. It was a tad breezy both yesterday and today, with northwesterly winds 15-20 mph. Those winds have died down this evening. It's only going to get better from here, as highs may exceed 70 degrees later this week. There's not a raindrop or snowflake in sight as dry high pressure will dominate our weather. With high pressure, the air sinks, suppressing any cloud formation. Of course, clouds are needed to produce precipitation (which we haven't had much of since December). The flowering trees are beginning to bud, and I'm sure many of them, including the pear, plum, and cherry trees, will bloom this week. Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Areas of frost after 4am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 32. North northwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Monday Areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind becoming north northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Monday Night Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 33. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph after midnight. Tuesday Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 37. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph in the evening. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 66. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 70. Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 38. Friday Sunny, with a high near 68. Friday Night Clear, with a low around 39. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 66. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.

wet weather has passed; now on to sunny and mild weather

Chico picked up .29" of rain yesterday, with a high temperature of 54 degrees. There were a few thunderstorms around the area, as well, mainly west of Chico. Snow levels briefly dropped to below 2000 feet as cold air poured in behind the storm late yesterday. This morning's lows in the valley have dipped into the low to mid 30s. Skies should clear later today, with highs only in the mid 50s. It will also be breezy today as the front has passed, causing northerly winds to gust to 25 mph at times. Warm weather lovers, don't fret, because highs will warm into the 60s by Sunday and last through the end of next week. Overnight lows under clear skies will range from the lower to middle 30s. For a comparison, average lows this time of year are around 36 degrees, while the average high is 60 degrees. So, not too far off the mark. If you're a bicycle enthusiast, the weather for the Rice Valley Tandem Rally should be very nice, with a chilly start followed by a mild finish. The weather will be dry for the race, so no need to worry about rain gear. Of course, it's no secret to most people that Chico is crazy about bicycles; in 1997 it was awarded the #1 Best Bike Town honor by Bicycling Magazine. The topography is friendly to bike riding, as it is mostly flat across the city. For those who want a more challenging ride, the foothills are just to the east of town, and I often pass many bicyclists struggling to climb the hill on Highway 32. So, get out and ride your bike this weekend! Here's Chico's seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Today A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 31. North northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 58. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. North wind around 7 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 60. North wind 3 to 6 mph. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Monday Sunny, with a high near 61. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 62. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 64. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 62.

perhaps a thunderstorm tomorrow?

After a long dry spell, Chico may see some shower, and possibly thunderstorm, activity tomorrow. This is a colder storm originating from the Gulf of Alaska, so look for much cooler temperatures over the next 24 hours. Today's high will be in the upper 50s with increasing clouds later in the day. Showers begin overnight tonight and continue into tomorrow, with highs on either side of 50 degrees. Dry conditions return for Friday and last through early next week. Temperatures will gradually warm from the mid 50s Friday into the lower 60s by Tuesday. Here are the specifics from the National Weather Service: Today Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 58. Light and variable wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Tonight A 30 percent chance of showers after 4am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 37. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Thursday A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10am. Some of the storms could produce small hail. High near 52. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Thursday Night Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then a chance of showers. Some of the storms could produce small hail. Cloudy, with a low around 31. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Friday A slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 58. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 28. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 59. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Monday Sunny, with a high near 61. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 61.

dry stretch

Today was another warm, spring-like day, with sunny skies and a high temperature in Chico of 69 degrees. That's about ten degrees above the average for February 3rd. The National Weather Service office in Sacramento commented on its website today that the liquid equivalent to this season's snowfall in the Sierra Nevada is around 34 inches. That is actually above normal at this point in the wet season, which runs from October 1st through September 30th. The NWS is forcasting below normal precipitation for the next three months, but above the amount of precipitation we finished with last wet season. We could use some precipitation, regardless. It looks like our best chance for rain is Thursday; until then, the dry stretch of weather will continue. It appears our temperatures will begin to cool off this upcoming week as the high pressure system that has been dominating our weather the past several days begins to weaken. Look for high temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s through the middle of this week, then cooling into the mid 50s Thursday and Friday as our next storm moves through. Highs rebound into the upper 50s for next weekend under sunny skies. Overnight lows will range from the upper 20s to mid 30s the next seven days. Here's Chico's detailed forecast from the NWS: Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Light and variable wind. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Light east northeast wind. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Light and variable wind becoming north northeast around 6 mph in the evening. Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Thursday A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Thursday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Friday A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 59. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 59.

abnormally dry

Chico has seen about .80" of rain for January 2013. While not the driest January on record, it will go down as one of the driest Januarys. Normally we would see well over five inches of rain during January, typically our wettest month of the year. How dry will February be? I don't know, but looking at the latest seven day forecast, it is starting off pretty dry. There is very little chance for rain over the next seven days, as strong high pressure continues to hold its grip over California. It's funny how we got dumped on in November and December, but then the "spigot" got turned off once we entered a new year. Hopefully the rain comes back soon; otherwise, we might be facing severe water restrictions and a very bad fire season this summer. Here is the dry and very warm seven day forecast from the National Weather Service: Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 35. North northwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Saturday Sunny, with a high near 63. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 37. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 63. West northwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 35. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming northeast in the evening. Monday Sunny, with a high near 63. Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Thursday A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Thursday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Friday A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Speaking of warm, today's high temperature in Chico was 68 degrees- ten degrees above the average for February 1st. Some of the trees in town are already beginning to bud. I really hope this is not a sign of climate change- less precipitation and warmer temperatures. However, this might become the new normal.