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It was a quiet day around the North State Tuesday... and look for that to happen again Wednesday. Changes are coming Thursday, however!
Our little storm from Monday moved into Nevada Tuesday, and left us with sunshine & warm temperatures around the North State. Not much change coming Wednesday... but a decent band of clouds will slide into northern California Thursday, cooling us down and potentially sparking a few mountain thunderstorms yet again. Best chance of any wet weather looks to be in the Siskiyous & southern Cascades.
We'll clean the clouds out Friday, and warm our temperatures back up some... warm, but not hot. That should continue Saturday, too.
Sunday looks warm again... but we should see some high clouds around the North State. Normally, not a big deal. But Sunday we'll have our Annular Eclipse! These high clouds should be sparse enough for us to still enjoy the eclipse nicely, however.
Remember, the eclipse starts around 5:10 pm Sunday, ends around 7:30, and is a complete Annular Eclipse between 6:28 & 6:31 pm. Eclipse glasses are vital for looking at the eclipse without damaging your eyes (you can also use welding goggles/helmet, or an eclipse viewer). You may still have time to order eclipse glasses or a viewer online; locally they're being sold at the Chico Observatory in Upper Bidwell Park.
Kris
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Temperatures cooled down nicely Monday, with a few mountain thunderstorms. By Tuesday, we're back to the Summer heat... in May.
A strong, compact, but fairly dry area of low pressure moved through the North State Monday, cooling us down (especially the Valley, thanks to a bit of a delta breeze) and sparked a few afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains. There was a severe thunderstorm near Lassen Park Monday afternoon, but it dissipated fairly quickly. Plenty of leftover clouds from these thunderstorms made into the north end of the Valley, with even a few sprinkles/light showers around the Redding area... but that was about it.
The low will be in Nevada by Tuesday, and we'll return to our early season warmth for the next couple of days. But it won't last! A weak trough of low pressure will slide into the North State Thursday, and cool us down yet again. This one looks to have more cloud cover with it, and could bring some showers to the Siskiyous.
The clouds will thin some Friday & Saturday, but we should still see partly cloudy skies... and nice temperatures! Near average (for mid-May) high temperatures are on tap.
Sunday looks a bit warmer... but it's looking like we won't be able to shake the clouds entirely. It looks mostly sunny, with a few high clouds in the late afternoon/early evening. Remember, our complete annular eclipse is happening this Sunday from 5:10 pm to 7:30 pm... let's do our "clouds, go away" dance! Even if we do have some clouds, there shouldn't be many... and we should see a very nice solar eclipse.
Kris
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The winds diminished nicely Friday in the North Valley, and shouldn't return anytime soon. What will return is the heat... it's looking pretty hot for May this weekend!
High pressure is strengthening, and that means hot weather will stick around this weekend. These temperatures are fine for July, but they're about 10 degrees above average for May... and this weekend looks just a tad hotter than Friday was!
A weather disturbance will cool us down almost 10 degrees on Monday, but with limited moisture, we'll stay dry & partly cloudy in the Valley. In the mountains, however, scattered afternoon thunderstorms should pop up... especially in the Siskiyous & Trinity Alps. That disturbance will roll east by Tuesday, and we'll be back to the dry heat. The hot stuff should continue through next week... a hot May!
Quick check of our lake levels:
Lake Oroville... 1.8 feet from being completely full
Shasta Lake... 2.7 feet from being completely full
Trinity Lake... 6.5 feet from being completely full.
Happy Mother's Day!
Kris
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Thursday turned out to be a cooler & windy day in the Valley. Expect the winds to diminish overnight, and the heat to pick back up this weekend!
A dry cool front swept through the North State Wednesday night, and dropped our temperatures about 5 degrees. Surface high pressure built into the Pacific Northwest behind the front, and a large pressure gradient developed over the west coast... high pressure in the Pacific Northwest, and low pressure in the Desert Southwest. Strong north wind blew in the Valley as a result of that pressure gradient, gusting to 40 mph in the Valley! As both surface high & low pressure move inland Friday, our winds will diminish nicely. Before that happens, the Jarbo Gap winds will blow overnight... expect strong winds near Concow, Jarbo Gap, & in Paradise near Pentz Rd. overnight, and calming down Friday.
Temperatures will be a little warmer Friday... and we'll continue to warm up this weekend! A hot Mother's Day is on tap.
A weak disturbance will sneak into the North State Monday, and should spark a few mountain thunderstorms. The best chance looks to be in the Siskiyous & Trinity Alps. The Valley should stay dry.
Next week looks to start hot yet again, but potentially cool down late next week.
Kris
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It was more heat around the North State Wednesday, with high temperatures about 10 degrees above average. That'll change Thursday, as we bring in cooler & windier conditions!
A weak cool front will sweep through the North State Wednesday night. It's too dry to even have any cloud cover, but it will bring a bit of a cooldown Thursday... expect high temperatures to drop 5 to 7 degrees. Surface high pressure build into the Pacific Northwest behind it, and that will kick up a gusty north wind in the Valley. Look for gusts to 35 mph in Shasta & Tehama counties, while the winds will be a bit less further south... 25 mph gusts in Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Yuba & Sutter counties. The higher elevations won't see much wind.
As the surface ridge shifts inland, that'll kick up a gusty northeast wind in the mountains Thursday night. The Jarbo Gap winds should blow pretty good, so Concow, Yankee Hill, Jarbo Gap, and near Pentz. Rd. in Paradise will get windy Thursday night. The Jarbo Gap winds will diminish Friday, and we'll enjoy a mild day, with relatively quiet winds.
By this weekend, the heat returns... with light winds. Get to that yardwork early to beat the heat!
Kris
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A very special event is coming to northern California Sunday evening, May 20th... An Annular Solar Eclipse! Start planning those BBQ/viewing parties now!
There are 2 kinds of solar eclipses... Total & annular. A total solar eclipse means the shadow of the moon blocks out the sun entirely. In an annular solar eclipse, the moon's shadow isn't quite big enough to block out the entire sun, so a small ring of the sun is visible around the shadow of the moon... still quite spectacular!
The eclipse will begin around 5:10 pm, Sunday May 20th. It will be complete (the sun will be blocked out) from about 6:27 pm to 6:31 pm, and the eclipse will end around 7:37 pm. There will be a little variability in times (about 1 minute) around the North State, depending upon where exactly you are (Mt. Shasta vs. Chico, for example).
Remember, it is NOT safe to look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse. You can order special 'eclipse glasses' or an 'eclipse viewer' (I got mine from Amazon.com for $9.00) if you want to look at the sun during this special event.
I remember the July 1991 solar eclipse, which was only about 60% in northern California... I remember the sky getting noticibily dimmer, and the temperature dropping during the eclipse... then heating right back up afterwards! With this being a complete eclipse, expect it to get remarkably dim during the eclipse, and temperatures to cool as well. It should be an amazing experience!
I researched past eclipses in the North State... we haven't had a complete one visible here since at least 1950! We'll have a 90% eclipse in 2017, and another 90% solar eclipse in 2023... but our next complete one won't be until 2045!
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Tuesday was toasty around the North State. We'll cool temperatures down a bit over the next few days, and look for the wind to return Thursday... but no clouds in sight!
High pressure heated us up Tuesday to our warmest readings of the year. This ridge will weaken just a tad Wednesday, so we'll cool down a couple of degrees. A very weak storm will push through Wednesday night, and cool us down around 5 degrees for Thursday, but with no clouds. Surface high pressure will move into the Pacific Northwest, and that will send a lot of air southward (due to a decent pressure gradient). That will kick up a gusty north wind Thursday... look for gusts to 30 mph in the Valley! As the ridge weakens & moves inland Friday, the winds will weaken... expect 20 mph gusts.
By Saturday, the winds will diminish, but the heat returns... look for this weekend to be just as hot as it was today around the North State! It looks like that will continue into next week, too.
Kris
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A weak May storm swept in and brought us scattered showers and cooler weather Thursday. Much warmer weather returns by the weekend. Windier, too!
Scattered showers moved into the North State Thursday, along with much cooler temperatures. One potent rainshower developed Thursday evening about 10 miles northwest of Corning, and extended northeast to Red Bluff... and did not move! Red Bluff reported about 2/3" of rain between 6:30pm & 10pm Thursday, and doppler radar estimated 3" to 4" of rain about 9 miles northwest of Corning... but not a drop in Corning itself!
Still some clouds early Friday morning, but the Valley should clear out by the afternoon. Mountains may have to wait until Saturday to clear up. Still cool Friday behind our storm.
Plenty of sun this weekend and next week, with warmer temperatures. But, that's not the interesting part... the strong winds are! Surface high pressure will build into the Pacific Northwest, and coupled with surface low pressure in the Desert Southwest, we'll have a large pressure gradient over California. That will bring a strong north wind to the Valley (much lighter in the mountains). Expect 40 mph north wind gusts Saturday, and 30 mph north wind gusts Sunday. As the surface ridge shifts inland Sunday night, look for the Jarbo Gap winds to blow some Saturday night, but get very strong Sunday night. Places near the mouth of the Feather River Canyon (Jarbo Gap, Concow, and near Pentz Rd. in Paradise) will see 40-50 mph winds after midnight Sunday night!
The winds throughout the North State will diminish Monday, and we'll get very warm. Not quite 90's in the Valley by Tuesday, but close!
From showery weather to windy weather to warm weather in just a few days... sounds like May in the North State!
Kris
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Clouds arrived around the North State Wednesday, and cooled us down a bit. Look for scattered showers to develop Thursday... than a lot of wind this weekend!
A weak May storm will move into the North State Thursday, bringing showers to the mountains, and scattered showers to the Valley. This is a warm storm, so snow levels will be pretty high... near 7000'. A moderately deep area of surface low pressure will push into Oregon Thursday, and that should kick up a 10 to 25 mph southerly wind.
This storm slides east by Friday, and we should see sun return by the afternoon, if not earlier. Strong surface high pressure will build into the Pacific Northwest this weekend, and coupled with deep low pressure in the Desert Southwest, that will set up a good pressure gradient over California. That will kick up a strong north wind in the Valley... expect 30 to 40 mph gusts Saturday, and 30 mph gusts on Sunday!
We'll warm up nicely next week, and the winds should diminish.
Hopefully, a little wet weather Thursday will diminish the pollen by a bit!
Kris
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Tuesday was terrific around the North State, with lots of sunshine. A weak storm will bring clouds Wednesday, however, and maybe even a few showers Thursday.
With lots of sun, and near average temperatures Tuesday, it was a wonderful day. A weak storm approaching us will bring clouds Wednesday, and cool our temperatures down just a bit. Thursday will be mostly cloudy, with showers in the Siskiyous & Coast Range. Scattered showers will spread throughout the rest of the North State by Thursday afternoon/evening... but this looks like a pretty weak storm, so don't expect much... if anything.
Mostly sunny skies return again Friday, with slightly below normal temperatures. Temperatures won't change much through the weekend (and neither will the sun), but expect a breezy north wind to develop. North winds will gust to near 25 mph Saturday, Sunday & Monday... and might be a bit stronger Sunday. We may have to fine tune the forecast as the weekend gets closer.
Latest check of local lake levels reveals that as of Tuesday, both Lake Oroville & Trinity Lake are only 6.5' from being completely full! Shasta Lake is only 3.7' from capacity. Great news after a very dry start to our rain season!
Kris
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We know April showers bring May flowers, but do May showers bring June flowers? We may find out, because there's a chance of rain later this week. But not Tuesday!
Monday was a warm day, with Valley highs in the 80's. It started sunny, but finished with plenty of mid & high cloud cover. Those clouds should move out overnight, and we'll enjoy plenty of sunshine Tuesday. High pressure will break down a little, so expect our high temperatures to cool just a bit Tuesday, despite plenty of sun.
Clouds will return Wednesday, which will help us cool even further, although temperatures still look OK. Those clouds are associated with a weak storm that will bring showers to the North State Thursday... but not too much. Best chance of wet weather will be in the afternoon, but don't expect much.
We'll be back to sunshine Friday, but slightly below normal temperatures. We'll warm to close to normal temperatures by the weekend, with lots of sun. A breezy (10 to 25 mph) north wind may pick up this weekend.
Enjoy Tuesday's sunshine!
Kris
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Friday was a breezy but nice day around the North State. We'll continue with the north breezes Saturday, but with warmer temperatures!
Friday started out clear, cool & breezy, and despite clouds arriving in the afternoon... it still was a nice day. Those clouds will move out overnight, and the weekend looks mostly sunny as upper level high pressure strengthens. Surface high pressure in the Pacific Northwest will continue to push air southward Saturday, meaning it'll be breezy yet again. Look for a north wind 10 to 25 mph in the Valley. Temperatures should warm up about 5 to 10 degrees.
Sunday will see those north winds in the Valley diminish, and temperatures warm another 2 to 5 degrees. Not as hot as last weekend, but still warm!
Next week will start a bit cooler, but still warm. Overall... a nice end to April!
Kris
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Our last weekend of April is looking warm & sunny, with a bit of a north breeze Saturday. A very nice start to May is coming, too!
Wednesday night turned into a wet one around the North State, and there were even a few showers early Thursday. Clearing skies will give us a cool night Thursday night, though... low 40's in the Valley & Ridge, with below freezing temperatures in the mountains.
Friday will start mostly sunny... but expect some high clouds in the afternoon. High temperatures still warm up nicely, to near average for this time of year. As surface high pressure builds into the Pacific Northwest, that will kick up a breezy north wind. Look for a 10 to 25 mph north wind both Friday & Saturday... dying down on Sunday.
As upper level high pressure continues to strengthen over the weekend, our temperatures will continue to warm. We'll be around 10 degrees above average this weekend, and much of next week! Warm, but not as hot as last weekend. Nice weather to start the month of May!
Later in the month, we'll enjoy a solar eclipse. Sunday, May 20th we'll have a nice eclipse viewable from the North State in the early evening (weather permitting). More details as we get closer to the fun event!
Kris
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April showers moved into the North State Wednesday... but should move out Thursday. A beautiful weekend is coming up!
Low pressure to our south pushed plenty of moisture northward Wednesday, which brought us rain showers. With another weak storm moving in from the west, expect the showers to continue overnight, and even to start Thursday. By Thursday afternoon, the moisture from both of these storm will begin to push east, resulting in a bit of sunshine for the Valley. The moisture will get hung up upon the mountains (especially the Sierra) a bit more, so expect the wet weather to linger longer there. Snow levels have been high, but will drop to near 5500' by early Thursday.
High pressure will begin to build back into California Friday. That will give us mostly sunny skies, and warm our temperatures to near average for this time of year. By the weekend, temperatures warm a little above average... nice, but not as hot as last weekend!
Next week looks to start nice (but not hot), too. A beautiful start to May is on the way!
Kris
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The cooldown continued Tuesday, and it won't stop Wednesday... because rain is coming! However, it'll clear out just in time for the weekend, and we have another nice one coming.
Tuesday started cloudy, but finished nicely around the North State. Temperatures continued to cool, but it was still comfortable. We'll continue to cool, as 2 weak storms in the Pacific will converge over California in the next couple of days and bring rain back to us. Expect Wednesday to start mostly cloudy, but a few light showers will develop in the later afternoon. By Wednesday night & Thursday, a light rain will spread over us... but don't expect too much. Perhaps 1/4" for the Valley. Snow levels look pretty high... near 7000' Wednesday, then dropping to near 5000' by Thursday. Winds may get a bit breezy at times, with a south wind gusting 10 to 25 mph both Wednesday & Thursday.
High pressure will begin rebuilding Friday, and we'll enjoy the sunshine yet again. Temperatures will be comfortable Friday, but approach 80 Saturday in the Valley. A bit warmer Sunday (and early next week), as high pressure continues to strengthen.
May starts next Tuesday, and while long range models are keeping us quiet initially, it's still possible we could get more rain... the Valley averages around 1" of rain in the month of May.
But the last weekend of April looks wonderful after a bit of rain over the next couple of days to dampen the pollen!
Kris
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