Daily Weather

Hold on to your hat!

kkuyper — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:04:00 GMT

St. Patrick's Day was wonderful! The sun will continue through the weekend, but expect it to get windy Thursday.

A small & dry disturbance will drop into central Nevada from the Pacific Northwest Thursday. High pressure will replace it, and that will set up gusty north winds in the Valley, as the high forces lots of air southward to the low. Expect north wind gusts to 35 mph in the Valley, with lighter winds in the mountains. Both the low and the high move east by Friday, so the winds will subside then. Sunshine and mild temperatures continue through the weekend. It looks like it will begin to cool down starting Monday, so enjoy the warmth while we have it! And hold on to your hat Thursday.

Kris

Sunny & Breezy

kkuyper — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:05:00 GMT

Expect the sun to continue for a while, but it could get just a bit breezy Thursday.

We had a few high clouds Tuesday, but by Wednesday, those clouds will clear out. They were associated with a storm that moved into the Pacific Northwest, bumped northward because high pressure over California was just too strong. St. Patrick's Day looks warm & sunny! A bit of instability in the mountains may build up a few clouds over the Sierra & Cascade ridgetops, but temperatures shouldn't be effected. Surface high pressure will build into the Pacific Northwest by Thursday, and that should kick up a breezy north wind, with gusts to 25 mph in the Valley. Those breezes should die down by Friday as that ridge moves inland, and high temperatures warm even further! Spring begins at 10:32 a.m. Saturday, and 80 is possible in the Valley. Spring seems to have jumped the gun a week early this year!

Kris

Turning partly cloudy

kkuyper — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:09:00 GMT

Monday was sunny and warm... Tuesday will be partly cloudy and warm.

High pressure brought us a wonderful day Monday. A storm off the coast will spread clouds into the North State Tuesday, but high pressure will guide the rain northward into the Pacific Northwest, and keep our temperatures similar to what we saw on Monday. So just a veil on the sunshine... otherwise, no big changes. By Wednesday, the sun is back, and we'll really warm it up. We'll see highs well into the 70's the rest of the week, although surface high pressure in the Pacific Northwest could make it just a bit breezy Thursday, with a north wind 10 to 25 mph.

No significant storms in sight! Enjoy the sun.

Kris

Warming up!

kkuyper — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:56:00 GMT

Friday was wet & windy. Thunderstorms formed in the north end of the Valley in the evening; a funnel cloud was even reported near Red Bluff! Fortunately, no reports of it ever touching down. Winds gusted to nearly 40 mph earlier in the day. The weather will get much quieter starting Saturday.

Friday's storm should be long gone by Saturday morning. As it slides east, high pressure builds into the Pacific Northwest. That will generate a breezy north wind Saturday; expect gusts to 20 mph. It will be cool behind the cool front (naturally!), so expect a sunny but cool & breezy Saturday.

Sunday looks much nicer. The breezy north winds die down, and temperatures warm. Look for highs in the Valley near 70 starting Sunday, through most of next week. A weak front will bring a few clouds Tuesday, but no rain. Behind it, a bit of a north breeze should develop Wednesday. But with highs near 70, it will still be nice.

Don't forget to Spring Forward! Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday... set your clocks ahead 1 hour.

Kris

Wet & windy Friday

kkuyper — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:05:00 GMT

Lots of sun Thursday... but a healthy Pacific storm will end that Friday. A wet finish to the workweek!

Clouds will roll in Thursday night, and the rain will arrive Friday. This storm is pulling in subtropical moisture ahead of it, so it's going to be juicy. I'm expecting anywhere from 1/2" of rain to 1" in the Valley, with higher amounts in the foothills. It should be rain for most of the storm in the foothills, too, as this subtropical moisture is warm. Snow levels will start around 4000'. By late Friday night, they'll drop to 2500', as the cold front plows through... but by that time, most of the moisture will have moved on. Just a few snow showers below 3000'... most of the serious snow will fall above 4000'. Chester could get 1 foot of fresh powder! Moderately deep low pressure will approach the Oregon coast Friday, kicking up the gusty south winds. Expect gusts to 35 mph in the Valley, with gusts over 40 mph in the normally windy Shasta Valley (Siskiyou county), and other exposed higher elevations.

The storm moves east Saturday, and we'll begin a stretch of very sunny weather. But as surface high pressure builds into the Pacific Northwest, that will kick up a gusty north wind. Expect gusts to 20 mph in the Valley Saturday... not that windy, but coupled with a cool day, it'll feel a bit raw, despite the sunshine.

Sunday is when the Spring-like weather starts. Warm and sunny, and it should last for most of next week!

Enjoy next week's Spring preview... we'll deserve it after Friday's sloppy storm.

Kris

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