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Chico, Washington Weather

Fireweed Ignites. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Chico weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Chico, WA
Saturday, July 4 at 7:27 AM
56
°
Overcast
Feels like
55°
Humidity
92%
Wind
4 mph
Sunrise
10:19 PM
Sunset
2:11 PM
Chico, WA
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastChico, WA: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 56 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 56°H 65°
Chico, WA
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Overcast
    65°55°
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    72°56°+7°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Overcast
    81°48°+9°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Overcast
    82°49°+1°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Drizzle
    17%
    68°56°-14°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Overcast
    78°51°+10°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Clear
    82°45°+4°
Chico, WA
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
ESE
119° · veering 7°
Direction
ESE
119°
Sustained
4
mph
Gust
6
mph
Peak 24h
9
avg 3
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 3 · pk 9 @ 9:00p
010MPHB1B2B3B4-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 114SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Chico, WA
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1001.4
+0.4 mb in 3h · steady · 29.57 inHg
Now
1001.4
mb
3h
+0.4
mb
12h
+0.5
mb
24h
+0.4
mb
Regime · RAIN
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 10001002
9951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1001.61000.31001.2
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Damp, unsettled regime — wet weather lingers nearby.
Chico, WA
Air quality
30
AQI
Good
+6 in 6h

AQI 30 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI up 6 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). PM2.5 at 8.2 µg/m³ (AQI 46) with a 0.80 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERGood
8.2μg/m³
PM 10Good
10μg/m³
NO₂Good
10μg/m³
OzoneGood
23μg/m³
UV IndexLow
0.4

What's driving it

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 8.2 µg/m³ (AQI 46) with a 0.80 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.80
Wind
calm
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
stagnant smoke
Chico, WA
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
100%
OVERCAST
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow

Visibility
26.3mi
UNLIMITED
61 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
14:27 UTC · Chico, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
14:27 UTC · Chico, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Chico, WA
Satellite · infrared · animated
Chico, WA
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Chico, WA
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
4:40 AM
Sunrise
10:19 PM
Daylight
15h 52m
Sunset
2:11 PM
Civil dusk
9:52 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Chico, WA
The moon
Waning Gibbous
81% illuminated
Moonrise
11:20 PM
Moonset
10:13 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Chico, WA
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Fireweed Ignites

fish
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Chico at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 8°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: June 1 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

16-Day Forecast — Chico

  1. Sat65°55°5%
  2. Sun72°56°0%
  3. Mon81°48°0%
  4. Tue82°49°3%
  5. Wed68°56°17%
  6. Thu78°51°8%
  7. Fri82°45°4%
  8. Sat80°49°15%
  9. Sun73°48°12%
  10. Mon71°44°7%
  11. Tue80°43°5%
  12. Wed86°48°11%
  13. Thu91°56°9%
  14. Fri97°59°3%
  15. Sat94°57°6%
  16. Sun93°55°3%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of July 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

January 1–5: The Year's Deep Silence.January 6–10: The First Pressure Shift.January 11–15: The Lengthening.January 16–20: The Crows Begin.January 21–25: Skunk Cabbage Wakens.January 26–31: The Fog Deepens.February 1–5: The Sap Stirs.February 6–10: East Wind Weakens the Marine Layer.February 11–15: Thrush Song at First Light.February 16–20: The Salmon Remember.February 21–25: The Soil Awakens.February 26–28: Mist Begins to Linger.March 1–5: The Buds Emerge.March 6–10: The Small Lives Stir.March 11–15: The Spring Salmon Peak.March 16–20: Alder Catkins Dust the Air.March 21–25: Equinox Fog Clears.March 26–31: Salmonberry First Bloom.April 1–5: Thunder Rolls Down the Valleys.April 6–10: Swallows Arrive at the Bridges.April 11–15: Geese Turn Their Faces North.April 16–20: Rainbows Arc Above the Cascades.April 21–25: Reeds Rise from the Wetlands.April 26–30: Frost Releases the Garden.May 1–5: Warblers Flood the Canopy.May 6–10: Frogs Sing at Twilight.May 11–15: Earthworms Rise to Feed the Forest.May 16–20: Shoots and Sprouts Rise in Ranks.May 21–25: Silkworm Days—Full Canopy.May 26–31: Safflower Days—Late May Blooms.June 1–5: Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive.June 6–10: Oceanspray Towers.June 11–15: Solstice Light Crests.June 16–20: Thimbleberry Sweetens.June 21–25: Summer Solstice Stillness.June 26–30: Dry Pattern Deepens.July 1–5: Fireweed Ignites.July 6–10: Peak Hummingbird Wars.July 11–15: Red Huckleberry Ripens.July 16–20: Smoke Season Beckons.July 21–25: Dog Days Hold.July 26–31: Smoke Deepens.August 1–5: August Arrives Dimmed.August 6–10: Cool Wind Hints Return.August 11–15: Cicadas Crescendo.August 16–20: Marine layer deepens.August 21–25: First sweater morning.August 26–31: August snap arrives.September 1–5: Rivers quicken with silver.September 6–10: Dew settles thick.September 11–15: Raptors funnel through passes.September 16–20: Equinox—darkness gains.September 21–25: Fog locks the valleys.September 26–30: Geese stage southward.October 1–5: Mushroom flush deepens.October 6–10: Maples ignite orange.October 11–15: Frost's first mark.October 16–20: Oaks turn russet.October 21–25: First killing frost.October 26–31: Atmospheric rivers arrive.November 1–5: Maple and ivy turn to amber.November 6–10: Last leaves cling in quiet rain.November 11–15: First frost finds the lowlands.November 16–20: Bare branches open the winter sky.November 21–25: Heavy rains mask the stars.November 26–30: North wind clears the gloom.December 1–5: Darkness settles early.December 6–10: Winter cold locks the sky.December 11–15: The days reach their minimum.December 16–20: Ice forms at the margins.December 21–25: The sun turns at solstice.December 26–31: Year's end in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coastMay 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · July 1–5

Fireweed Ignites

Magenta fireweed spires surge from burned and cleared slopes, their blooms climbing from base upward. July's signature color claims the disturbed ground.

Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January
February
March
April
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Octoberwinter squash, tomatoes (last)
November
December

A year in weather

In Chico, August runs warmest near 66°F and December coldest around 40°F, while December is the wettest month (9.9 inches) and July the driest (0.8 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January41°9.314
February42°5.810
March46°6.412
April50°3.99
May56°2.46
June61°1.65
July66°0.82
August66°1.12
September62°1.85
October53°5.19
November45°8.813
December40°9.914

Regional context

Chico swings from 41°F in January to 66°F in July (24°F) per NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals; precipitation in Chico runs about 56.9 inches on roughly 102 measurable days.

Cool-season fronts carry Chico's rain: December logs 9.9 inches on 13.6 days, against July's 0.8 inches on 2.3 — winter does the heavy lifting in Chico. That groups Chico with places like Erlands Point, WA, Kitsap Lake, WA and Tracyton, WA on the same cool-season storm track.

Chico reaches its last hard frost near late-May; that is the cue for peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Chico's heat-lovers — tomatoes, peppers, squash — hold off until Chico's frost risk clears, 10-14 days on. The season ends by early-October in Chico, once hard frosts set back in. A creek-bottom lot in Chico can lag Chico's last frost 7-10 days behind a south slope.

Similar climates: Erlands Point, WA, Kitsap Lake, WA, Tracyton, WA, Rocky Point, WA, Silverdale, WA.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Chico?
Frost typically leaves Chico by mid-May and returns to Chico near mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Chico?
Rainfall in Chico peaks in December near 9.9 inches, out of about 57 inches annually.
What is the warmest month in Chico?
August is Chico's warmest month, averaging about 66°F.
What is the coldest month in Chico?
Chico bottoms out in December, with a mean near 40°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Chico?
Chico's last frost (mid-May) cues hardy greens; in Chico, hold heat-lovers two weeks past.
How many rainy days does Chico get?
Chico records around 102 days of measurable precipitation annually.
What hardiness zone is Chico?
Chico's hardiness zone tracks its winter low; with December near 40°F, check the USDA ZIP map for the exact zone.
What is the 10-day forecast for Chico?
Chico's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Chico?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Chico in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Chico?
Current conditions for Chico and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Chico forecast updated?
The Chico forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Chico?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Chico are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Chico?
The next few days in Chico's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Chico, Washington occupies a warm-summer Mediterranean zone, with January means near 41°F and July around 66°F — a 25°F swing.

Across the year, Chico collects about 57 inches of precipitation over roughly 102 days with measurable rain or snow.

The 25°F gap between Chico's summer and winter, at 47.6°N, shapes Chico's frost calendar.

ZIP codes in Chico

  • 98312
  • 98383

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.