showery, then chilly

Man, it was a dreary day yesterday in Chico! The fog and low clouds plagued us all day long, then the showers moved in during the late evening. Chico so far has received .42" since last evening, and more showers are expected this morning before we begin to clear out later today. I think the clouds will be stubborn to leave, so we may have a day similar to yesterday. But, just in time for the work week, the sun will return on Monday and should stick around for much of next week. Temps will be chilly, as well, with lows right around freezing and highs in the lower to mid 50s (normals for Chico this time of year are 57 for the high and 36 for the low). By the end of the week, temps should be above average as high pressure strengthens over our area. Perhaps by then the spring blooms will begin to appear! Personally, I am ready for the fog and gray weather to depart permanently! Here is Chico's detailed forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10am, then a chance of showers. High near 52. East wind between 4 and 7 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North northwest wind around 5 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. North northwest wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. North northwest wind between 6 and 9 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 56. North wind between 3 and 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 35.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 55.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 62.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 63.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 64.

wet weekend ahead

The dry but foggy days of the past several days will come to an end this weekend as a moderately strong storm moves into our area from the Pacific. Three to six inches of snow are possible above 4000' in the Sierras, while a quarter to a half an inch of rain is possible in the lower elevations of the foothills and the valley floor (that includes Chico). It was a gray day for most of the first half of the day today in Chico, with the fog thick before sunrise- only a quarter of a mile in some areas. The fog lifted right around 1 pm this afternoon to allow hazy, filtered sunshine to beam down. Fog will return overnight tonight and we'll have one more decent day tomorrow before the rain invades. Here are the details from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Patchy dense fog after 10pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 33. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Saturday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 55. Southeast wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 38. South southeast wind around 10 mph.

Sunday: Showers likely. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 50. South southeast wind between 3 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. North northwest wind around 5 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.

Monday Night: Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 33.

Tuesday: Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 52.

Tuesday Night: Patchy fog after 4am. Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 31.

Wednesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 50.

Wednesday Night: Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 34.

Thursday: Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 56.

Thursday Night: Areas of fog. Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Friday: Patchy fog before 10am. Patchy frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 61.

slightly cooler later this week

Today's high so far (and current temperature) in Chico is 69 degrees. While not a record, it is 13 degrees warmer than where we should be this time of year. I haven't noticed any blooms on the fruit and non-fruit bearing trees in Chico, but I'm sure if this weather holds up, the blooms will begin appearing any day. The cool thing about the climate here is that the spring blooms usually last over a month. Blooms that begin appearing in early February continue into early March, for example. The wildflowers should begin appearing soon, as well. It is very beautiful when the blues, whites, yellows, and oranges of the wildflowers blend in with the deep emerald green grass. Add in the white, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the background, and you've got a picture-perfect opportunity! I will venture to Table Mountain (located between Chico and Oroville, it's almost world-famous for its spring wildflowers)in the next few weeks to take some pics with my new camera. The only downside to this fantastic weather is the fact that we are not getting any precipitation. As I stated in an earlier post, January is Chico's wettest month on average. So far this month, we're barely 25-35% of average for rainfall. Maybe we'll make up for it in February. For now, continue to enjoy the dry and slightly cooler weather the next seven days! Here's the detailed forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. North northwest wind between 4 and 7 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 65. West northwest wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Wednesday Night: Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 37. South wind at 7 mph becoming west northwest.

Thursday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 63. North northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm.

Thursday Night: Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 37. Calm wind.

Friday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 61.

Friday Night: Patchy dense fog after 10pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Saturday: Areas of dense fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 59.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 58.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 59.

It was a beautiful, warm day in Chico yesterday. I took these pics on my back porch facing west towards the Coast Range mountains on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. It was so warm, in fact, that Chico missed its record high temp for the date by just one degree! The high yesterday was 74 degrees; the record for January 22 is 75 degrees. Today has been much cooler, thanks to some haze and morning fog that has been slow to burn off. The current temperature (and high so far today) is 60 degrees. It should be warmer than average for much of this upcoming week as high pressure dominates our weather. Also expect dry conditions, as there are no storms on the horizon for the next seven to ten days. Here is the detailed forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:


Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North northeast wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Light northwest wind.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Light and variable wind.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 64. North wind around 7 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 62.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 64.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 61.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

Have a great week, everyone!

gorgeous weekend

It is going to be a fantastic weekend weatherwise in Chico this weekend. Sunny skies, light winds, and very mild temperatures will be the dominant features for the weather both today and tomorrow. Get out and enjoy it, because weather this nice doesn't happen too often this time of year. A persistent dome of strong high pressure over the eastern Pacific will be responsible for this wonderful weather. I just hope this won't be a consistent pattern for the rest of the winter. That could set up a dangerous fire season this spring and summer if this dry pattern continues indefinitely. Looking out ten days, there is no rain on the horizon. Hopefully the pattern will shift, and we'll get some nice late winter/ early spring rain storms that will ease the potential severity of the fire season. Perhaps I'm simply getting ahead of myself, as we have seen some pretty decent rains over the past couple of months. I should just enjoy the beautiful weather on tap the next several days. Here is the detailed forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 64. Southeast wind 8 to 11 mph becoming north northwest.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 38. West wind around 10 mph becoming north.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 62. North northwest wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North northwest wind around 5 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 63. North northeast wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Monday Night: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Tuesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 56.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 55.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.

where's the rain?

It's been over a week now since it last rained, and there is no rain on the horizon for Chico. This is supposed to be our wettest month on average, but it sure doesn't seem like it this month. Maybe the weather forecast will change, but for now, enjoy the dry weather and mild temperatures. Yesterday it was sunny and warm in Chico, with those downsloping northwest winds warming the temperature to 67 degrees! In January! Today has been sunny and nice, as well, though not as warm as yesterday. Expect dry weather through the end of next week, with at or slightly above normal temps. The Chico State students return next week to begin the spring semester. Prepare for lots of traffic! Here's the detailed seven day forecast for Chico from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 41. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Light northwest wind.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. North northwest wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 42. North northwest wind between 9 and 11 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 59.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 40.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 61.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 42.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 56.

Tuesday Night: Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Wednesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Wednesday Night: Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Thursday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 59.

enough of the fog!

Chico has not been able to shake the foggy weather the past few days. The fog did dissipate enough early this afternoon to allow the sun to shine through the gloom. Temps have been kept in check by the fog and low clouds the past couple of days- mainly right around the 50 degree mark. The forecast for the next seven days looks promising- sunny skies and seasonal temperatures through early next week. Who knows when (or if) the rain will return? For now, it remains dry for the forseeable future. Hopefully the fruit- bearing trees will begin to bloom soon! It usually happens around the first week of February. It's quite a pretty sight with all of the white, pink, and purple blossoms. Of course I will take pictures of the blossoms with my new camera and post them on my blog. Until the blossoms appear, enjoy the dry and seasonable weather. Here are the details from the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. North northwest wind between 8 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 61. North northwest wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North northeast wind around 9 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North northwest wind around 9 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Northeast wind around 6 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 62.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 44.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 59.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 43.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.