Forecasters' discussion, NWS Sacramento
Issued 2026-10-26 by NWS Sacramento, 19:39 UTC. Cool and dry weather through Friday - Breezy southwest winds today, strongest over the higher elevations of the southern Cascades and northern Sierra - Pattern change to.
The latest Area Forecast Discussion from the National Weather Service in Sacramento, which forecasts for Chico. It is where forecasters explain their reasoning and confidence, split into its sections.
Up to dateUpdated (3 h ago)Refreshed every 3 hours (issued about twice a day)Source
19:39 UTCissued 2026-10-26 by NWS Sacramento
Key Messages- Cool and dry weather through Friday - Breezy southwest winds today, strongest over the higher elevations of the southern Cascades and northern Sierra - Pattern change to ...
The records
| Section | Headline | What the forecasters wrote | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Messages | — | - Cool and dry weather through Friday - Breezy southwest winds today, strongest over the higher elevations of the southern Cascades and northern Sierra - Pattern change to unsettled weather this weekend | Mon, Oct 26, 12:39 PM |
| Discussion | Today through Friday | Latest GOES-west visible satellite shows some low to mid level clouds over the mountains this afternoon, especially for Shasta County and the Coast Range. Temperatures are currently trending approximately 3 to 8 degrees cooler than this time yesterday across much of the forecast area. Breezy southwest winds are currently being observed over the higher elevations of the southern Cascades and Sierra Crest, with gusts of 20 to 40 mph. Winds are expected to gradually decrease as we head into this evening. The upper level pattern will feature troughing over the Pacific Northwest that will keep temperatures below normal over the next several days with a general cooling trend. Forecast high temperatures are expected to be in the 60s to low 70s in the Valley, 50s to 60s in the foothills, and 40s to 60s in the mountains. Cold morning lows are expected for the mountains and higher elevation basins the next few days, with near to below freezing temperatures. Patchy fog or haze will be possible each morning in the Valley. Dry weather will prevail over the next several days with no precipitation in the forecast until the weekend. Lighter onshore flow is expected Tuesday, with a transition to a brief period of northern flow Wednesday morning. | Mon, Oct 26, 12:39 PM |
| Discussion | This Weekend | A pattern change to unsettled weather will bring renewed precipitation chances to the forecast this weekend. Latest guidance indicates that the system has slowed and precipitation amounts have trended slightly lower. There is still some uncertainty in the track and strength of this. Best chances for precipitation are currently over the mountains south of Interstate 80. The National Blend of Models currently advertises a 30 to 50 percent probability of snow amounts greater than 2" over the higher Sierra peaks for Saturday-Sunday. Wetting rain (>0.10") probabilities for the same time frame are around 50 to 70 percent for the mountains and 15 to 30 percent for the Valley. Ensemble guidance is still hinting at the potential for unsettled weather to continue into the first week of November as well, however there is more uncertainty beyond days 6-7. Some of the cluster analysis is showing a period of ridging early next week with offshore troughing. Be sure to check back for updates and plan ahead for unsettled weather! | Mon, Oct 26, 12:39 PM |
| Aviation | — | VFR conditions are expected over the next 24 hours. Winds generally less than 12 kts everywhere. | Mon, Oct 26, 12:39 PM |
| Watches and warnings | — | None. | Mon, Oct 26, 12:39 PM |
Written for weather professionals, so it uses some technical terms. The office covers the whole Sacramento Valley and nearby mountains, not only Chico.