Daily Weather

Another storm coming

kkuyper — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:06:00 GMT

Wednesday was sunny... but chilly. Expect a warmer day Thursday before our next storm arrives Friday.

Light snow fell on the Ridge early Wednesday morning, but most of the day was sunny... but cool, from the chilly air behind our storm. Thursday will be warmer as we moderate our airmass, but clouds from our next storm will start rolling in. Expect partly cloudy skies.

Friday's storm looks warm, wet and a bit windy. This storm is also coming from the Gulf of Alaska, but it's got a subtropical tap, meaning it'll be warmer and wetter. I'm looking for 1/2" to 1" of rain in the Valley, with higher amounts in the foothills. And it should be rain in the foothills this time around, as the snow levels will rise over 3000'. Decent low pressure will approach the Oregon coast Friday, kicking up the southerly winds. We should see 30 - 35 mph wind gusts in the Valley, with higher gusts in the mountains... well over 40 mph gusts in the Shasta Valley!

The storm should be gone by Saturday, and we'll see lots of sunshine this weekend. But Saturday could be deceptive; a gusty north wind sets up behind the front as surface high pressure builds into the Pacific Northwest... look for gusts in the Valley near 30 mph. Cool & breezy. By Sunday, the winds die down, and it really warms up.

Most of next week looks very warm (for March)... a taste of Spring!

And don't forget to Spring Forward this weekend, as Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday morning.

Tuesday Night Snow!

kkuyper — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:09:00 GMT

No snow in the Valley... but just about everywhere else!

Tuesday morning started cold. Lows near freezing (32) in the Valley, with near 30 on the Ridge, 25 in Quincy, 19 in Burney, 11 in Chester & Mineral, & 8 in Bieber! So despite the sunshine early Tuesday, it didn't warm up that much. Clouds rolling in the afternoon helped keep us cool, and those clouds will bring wet weather overnight. This storm is also bringing chilly air to reinforce the already cold airmass over the North State, and the bottom line is that snow levels will be LOW. About 1500' in the Siskiyous, and around 2000' in the Sierra & Cascades. This storm does not have a lot of moisture, however. About 1/10" to 1/4" of rain for the Valley, and about 1" to 4" of snow for most locations under 4000'... a little more over 4000'.

It's a quick moving storm. Wednesday morning might start partly cloudy, but we'll see lots of sun before noon, and in the afternoon! It'll still be cool, however, as the storm will leave cool air in it's wake. And some snow in the foothills.

Thursday looks sunny and warmer. But the rain returns Friday. Friday's storm looks warmer and wetter... maybe 1/2" of rain for the Valley, with snow levels over 3000'. It's gone by the weekend, and we'll warm it up with lots of sun headed our way. Sunday & Monday look fantastic, with highs in the 70's!

But Tuesday night... still in the heart of winter.

Kris

Snow on the Ridge

kkuyper — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:05:00 GMT

Monday was an unsettled day, as we saw a bit of everything. Tuesday night's storm looks COLD!

Cold, unstable low pressure moved across the North State Tuesday, and sparked showers, thunderstorms, and pea-sized hail. As this low moves southward overnight, skies will clear... allowing temperatures to really chill down early Tuesday morning!

We'll start Tuesday morning sunny but cold. Clouds will return in the afternoon, and the rain should begin after dinner. This storm looks very cold! It's coming from the Gulf of Alaska, and bringing the chilly air with it. Look for snow levels down below 2000' in the Siskiyous, and around 2000' in the Sierra & Cascades. Probably about 1" to 3" for places like Paradise, Concow, Magalia, Cohasset & Forest Ranch.

It won't last long... expect the sun back by Wednesday. It'll still be cool, but Thursday looks warmer. Rain will return Friday; this storm looks warmer. By Saturday, the sun is back, and so are the warm temperatures! We should be near 70 by Sunday.

But Tuesday night still looks like winter the middle of winter!

Kris

Warmer this weekend

kkuyper — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:59:00 GMT

Friday saw plenty of clouds, and that shouldn't change Saturday... but it looks warmer Sunday.

Low pressure off the coast will slide south into southern California this weekend, never making into the North State. That severely limits our rain chances... so much that I think we'll see just a slight chance of a few showers Saturday in the Sierra. The rest of the North State should be dry! As low pressure moves inland later Saturday, moisture will wrap around it, head northward and bring those few Sierra showers. By Sunday, the storm moves east... and we'll warm it up. A mix of sun and clouds Sunday with mild March temperatures... very nice!

A weak storm will end the sunshine party Monday, but the rain chances look like they'll stay north of us. As that storm moves east, a breezy north wind (gusts to 20 mph) should clear us up, and give us some sunshine Tuesday, but will also bring in cool air, and keep us... cool.

Clouds return Wednesday, but models are indicating that our next chance of rain isn't until next Friday.

Have a great weekend!

Kris

Cold Wednesday Night

kkuyper — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:07:00 GMT

Wednesday was an active day, with snow in the morning all the way down to the foothills, with rain and thunderstorms in the Valley. Expect a much quieter day Thursday!

Unstable and cold low pressure moved across the North State Wednesday. The cold part of it brought us low elevation snow; the unstable part brought Valley thunderstorms. This low will move east overnight; we'll be in-between storms Thursday, and should see a partly cloudy day. In the wake of this chilly storm, temperatures will stay cool for a while. Low temperatures early Thursday morning could get close to freezing (32) in the Valley!

Our next storm will hug the coast Friday, eventually moving into southern California Saturday. It'll be closest to us Friday, and that's when we'll have a chance of a few showers, but it doesn't look like much. Certainly nothing like what we saw Wednesday!

We'll see a mix of sun and clouds after that, but temperatures never get to 60 in the Valley for the next 7 days... chilly! There's another chance of showers Sunday night, and again next Wednesday. But neither of those storms look big, either.

It looks like Old Man Winter won't go quietly!

Kris

Valley thunderstorms Wednesday

kkuyper — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:07:00 GMT

We saw rain and a few Valley thunderstorms Tuesday, and Wednesday's storm looks much more unstable... afternoon thunderstorms look like a good bet.

Tuesday's storm brought us about 1/4" of rain Tuesday morning in the Valley. It then turned into a few afternoon thunderstorms, with locally heavy rain and pea-sized hail. This storm wasn't terribly unstable, but Wednesday's storm will be! Wednesday's storm is coming from the Gulf of Alaska, with vigorous upper level low pressure. That will push a band of rain across the North State early Wednesday morning. By the afternoon, the unstable low arrives. The steady rain should turn into spotty showers, with thunderstorms. They should be much more widespread than Tuesday! Expect locally heavy rain and pea-sized hail in these afternoon thunderstorms. Also, something called 'cold air funnels' are possible with the cold air coming in. These are simply funnel clouds (tornadoes that rarely touch the ground). Actually, fairly common in March & April in the North State. Thunderstorms should make it into the foothills surrounding the Valley, but not into the higher terrain. Speaking of the mountains, the snow level should be around 3000' to 3500'... low, but above the Ridge. All rain for Paradise, Magalia, Cohasset, Forest Ranch & Concow.

The unstable low moves east by Thursday, and we should enjoy partly cloudy skies then. By Friday, the clouds are back from another storm approaching California. This one looks like it's headed to central and southern California, and should give us only a glancing blow. We might see a few showers Friday night & Saturday, but most of the energy should head south of here. Partly cloudy again Sunday, and the rain returns Monday. A very active forecast!

Watch for a bunch of thunderbumpers Wednesday!

Kris

In like a lion!

kkuyper — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:57:00 GMT

Clouds returned to the North State Monday, but it was still a mild start to the week. That will change Tuesday, as rain and thunderstorms are headed our way!

A series of storms will change our weather. The first storm arrives Tuesday, and should bring us around 1/4" of rain for most of the Valley, with locally higher amounts in Shasta county, and the Ridge. Snow levels should be between 4000' and 4500'. Not the biggest storm, but it will rain Tuesday.

A second storm arrives Wednesday, and it isn't that wet, either. But it is pretty chilly for March, which will lower the snow levels down to near 2500'. Maybe a little snow in Magalia, Forest Ranch, & Cohasset! The ground is warm after our warm days, however, and this storm isn't that cold, so not much (if any) will actually stick to the ground. The cold air aloft coupled with unstable low pressure due to track across California Wednesday should destabilize the atmosphere enough to generate afternoon thunderstorms in the Valley. We could see pea-sized hail, along with locally heavy rain and gusty winds. Something called 'cold air funnels' are also possible with plenty of cold air aloft. Those are funnel clouds that form, but rarely touch the surface and turn into tornadoes. Not too uncommon for us in the late Winter-early Spring... but still something to keep an eye on!

We'll get a break Thursday, and see partly cloudy skies. Friday night could see a return of the wet weather, and Saturday a return of the unstable (thunderstorms) weather, but the models are agreeing to disagree, so don't mark that in ink just yet. It's like when your 4 year old says the dog destroyed the plant, and the 6 year old says the 4 year old did it... the truth will come out, but it might take another day or so. We'll see.

But Tuesday looks wet, and Wednesday looks very active!

Kris

Thunderstorms possible next week

kkuyper — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:07:00 GMT

Friday was a stormy day, but the weekend looks pretty good! Next week... it's back to the stormy weather.

It was a windy and wet finish to the week, but our storm will move east by Saturday. A secondary disturbance will approach the coast early Saturday, but should stay mostly south of us. So you'll notice a few showers if you're headed to San Francisco this weekend, but probably not here. Saturday should see a mix of sun and clouds, but Sunday looks wonderful... sunny and warm!

The transitionary ridge responsible for the great weather Sunday will move east by Monday, allowing clouds to start to return. Monday still looks nice, but not as warm or sunny as Sunday.

By Tuesday afternoon, a cooler storm from the Gulf of Alaska drops into the North State. This one will be different from our warm and wet (El Nino) storms. Lighter rainfall, but as the low moves directly over the North State Wednesday, that will make the atmosphere unstable. Couple that with some chilly air aloft, and I think we'll see some thunderstorms in the Valley Wednesday afternoon.

We'll get a break on Thursday, then another chilly, unstable storm arrives Friday... more thunderstorms possible!

It looks like March will be coming in like a lion!

Kris

Big storm Friday

kkuyper — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:58:00 GMT

We just wrapped up our last big storm, but another healthy one is developing in the Pacific, and could be even wetter!

Tuesday/Wednesday's storm was pretty wet. North of Marysville, the Valley saw anywhere from 1" to 1.6" of rain, with higher amounts in the mountains. The wet weather has moved on, but the clouds will linger through the night... and clouds from the next storm will overrun the North State Thursday. So not much (if any) sunshine Thursday.

The wet weather arrives Friday, and it looks like 1" to 2" of rain in the Valley, with higher amounts in the foothills. Snow levels should be near 3000'. Deep (976mb) low pressure approaches the Oregon Coast early Friday, so the winds should gust to 30 mph in the Valley, with all of that rain. It will turn to showers by Saturday. There is a slight chance of a Valley thunderstorm, with a little instability entering the Valley... but that looks pretty slight.

Sunday looks great. Sunshine and mid 60's for the Valley! Enjoy it... because the clouds return Monday afternoon. Another storm arrives Tuesday. It doesn't look as wet, but by Wednesday, could be more unstable, meaning a better chance of Valley thunderstorms.

Kris

Wet weather

kkuyper — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:14:00 GMT

Tuesday finished wet... with plenty more coming later this week.

A healthy Pacific storm rolled into the North State Tuesday, bringing rain and mountain snow. The Valley should see 1/2" to 1" of rain by Wednesday, with higher amounts in the mountains. And in the mountains, the snow level has dropped as low as 2500' in Trinity & Siskiyou counties, and 3000' in the Sierra, but should get no lower. In fact, it might rise a little overnight. As the cold front moves through, the southerly winds should get gusty... 30 to 35 mph gusts are possible. By Wednesday, the rain will have turned to showers, and should dry up in the afternoon. Winds won't be an issue, either.

We'll see a break Thursday, with some sunshine possible Thursday morning. But clouds from a new storm will arrive later in the day, and the rain from this new storm moving in early Friday.

Friday's storm looks very similar to Tuesday's! Wet and windy Friday, turning to showers by Saturday.

Sunday should be great... lots of sun, and mild temperatures, but it won't last... another storm moves in Tuesday.

Kris

Big storm Tuesday!

kkuyper — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:10:00 GMT

The week started off wonderfully, weatherwise... a mild day with lots of sun! I hope you were outside, and enjoyed some of it... because Tuesday looks much different.

Our first big storm of the week moves in Tuesday. A big upper level low is parked in the north Pacific, pulling in lots of subtropical moisture into northern California. The clouds will arrive overnight, and we'll probably see a few scattered showers Tuesday morning... turning into a steady rain by the afternoon. There's enough moisture headed our way that we should see anywhere from 1/2" to 1" of rain in the Valley, with much higher amounts in the mountains. Snow levels will be fairly high... around 4000' in the Siskiyous and Cascades, and about 4500' in the Sierra. Deep surface low pressure nears the Oregon coast Tuesday evening, which will kick up gusty south winds... 30 to 40 mph gusts are possible in the Valley late Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday evening. It should taper off to showers by early Wednesday morning, and dry up (save a few mountain showers) by Wednesday afternoon.

We'll get a break in the storms Thursday, which looks like another wonderful day... just like Monday. Then the second big storm arrives.

Friday's storm looks very similar to Tuesday's... rain amounts, wind gusts, even snow levels should be very close! So Friday will be another very stormy day.

Saturday looks partly cloudy and nice, while Sunday should be sunny and warm, almost spring-like. A weak storm is possible next Monday.

But 2 big storms coming this week, one Tuesday and one Friday. Looks like Feburary is finishing with a flourish!

Kris

Sunday Showers

kkuyper — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:46:00 GMT

Temperatures dropped about 10 degrees Friday, with clouds moving in... we'll get some rain from the clouds by Sunday.

Friday's storm moved into central and southern California, and sparked a few Sierra showers, but just clouds for the rest of us. Expect partly cloudy skies by Saturday, as the storm slides east... but a new storm arrives Sunday, and will bring us a bit of wet weather. Models had been suggesting lots of rain Sunday, but now they're backing off on that, and it looks just like showers. Snow levels should be around 4000'.

We'll get a break in the wet weather to start next week. Partly cloudy Monday and mostly cloudy Tuesday. Another storm arrives Wednesday, and we'll see the rain return. Again, models had been suggesting a lot of rain earlier, but are backing off on that now... we'll see! The showers should linger into Friday.

Kris

Here comes the rain

kkuyper — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:20:00 GMT

Thursday was another fantastic day... and our last warm day for a loooong time. It's back to lake-filling weather!

Our first storm arrives Friday. Clouds will block out the sun and cool us down about 10 degrees Friday, and the rain showers should arrive Friday evening. This first storm doesn't look strong at all... it's running into a dry atmosphere over California, so moistening the layers up will sap some strength out of this already weak storm. Probably just a few hundredths between Friday night and Saturday.

Sunday's storm will be much more impressive. We could pick up 1/2" of rain in the Valley. Snow levels will be near 3500'. Winds won't be very strong, but Sunday does look like a wet day.

We'll get a break Monday, then another decent storm arrives Tuesday, and lingers into Wednesday. Models want to bring in a very wet storm Thursday, and another next weekend... we'll see.

But the bottom line is the warm spring-like weather is gone... until spring. It's back to rainy February weather. Let's fill up those lakes!

Kris

1 more day of sun

kkuyper — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:02:00 GMT

Wednesday was wonderful, with highs in the Valley around 70 yet again. We'll get one more day of spring-like weather, then it's back to winter starting Friday... and lasting for quite a while.

High pressure brought us yet another great day. High pressure will move northward into British Columbia Thursday, marking the beginning of big changes headed our way. The Olympics in Vancouver will dry out, while we'll get seriously wet. The jet stream will undercut this Canadian ridge of high pressure, and bring one storm after another into California. And it looks like this is going to be a very stable pattern, meaning it won't change for a while. We might stay wet for the rest of the month! The first one should arrive Friday afternoon. Snow levels will start around 5000', but drop to near 4000' by Friday night, and potentially drop to near 3000' by Sunday. There certainly will be breaks in the wet weather, but they won't last long, and very little sunshine is possible after Thursday. No storm looks BIG, but there will be plenty of moderate sized ones.

So enjoy Thursday's sun... I can't tell you when we'll see it again!

Kris

2 more days of sun

kkuyper — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:52:00 GMT

Tuesday was terrific. Sun and 70's in the Valley... and we've got more of the same through Thursday. Old Man Winter returns Friday.

High pressure brought us another great day Tuesday, and more of the same is on tap Wednesday. By Thursday, high pressure will have moved northward, into western Canada. That will let the jet stream undercut the ridge, and sneak underneath... bringing the storms back to the North State. Right now, none of the storms look incredibly strong. But it does look like the jet stream will stay pointed at California for quiet a while... maybe through next week! Timing individual storms will be difficult, as the models have problems with that. But it looks like the first one is due in Friday, and the second Sunday afternoon. Snow levels look like they'll be around 3500' - 4000'.

So enjoy the the next 2 days of sun! Big changes are headed our way, starting Friday.

Kris

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