A parched Lindo Channel off the Lindo Channel Bike Bridge. A better summer bet is Big Chico Creek! Chico is in the Sacramento Valley, where the climate is Mediterranean in nature. This means that Chico is subject to hot summers and wet, cold winters. During the summer. the sun warms the higher latitudes more thoroughly, allowing the Hawaiian High in the Pacific to stay well north. This air mass dominates and prevents the northernly Aleutian low from sweeping into California. But this heat is moderated by a stream of cold water, the California Current, along the coastline. It originates from the Gulf of Alaska. So summers are hot, but not extremely so. The climate is also rarely humid, with few winds at night which can make sleeping without air conditioning difficult, so fans are a must! On occasion, thunderstorms pass through during the night. Daytime temperatures tend to range from 90-100 degrees (and more!), while at night temperatures may drop into the 60s. Record high temperatures for the summer in Chico are well above 110, with an all-time recorded high of 117 in July of 1972! Such high temperatures can create a high potential for wildfires east of Chico. Temperatures tend to reduce by mid-September.

Swimming

Chico is full of places to get wet during these hot months. Many apartments offer pools to the people living there but there are many public places in which to cool off.

• One Mile has a large concrete pool called Sycamore Pool that is filled with river water as it flows down Lower Bidwell Park and lifeguards are on duty in the summer months
• Upper Bidwell Park has many swimming holes frequented in the summer including Bear Hole and Alligator Hole.
• Honey Run Road has many places to pull off and jump in.
• Shapiro Pool and Pleasant Valley Pool are open to the public June to August

Tubing

Tubing is a popular activity with Chico State students (Memorial Day Weekend usually attracts many thousands of people). The most common place is the Sacramento River right before the start of Hamilton City. Many local kids avoid the crowds of students on the Sacramento River and opt to go tubing on Butte Creek upstream from the Covered Bridge.

Lakes

Being as inland as Chico is, the beach is not an option for most people. Luckily, there is a large number of lakes in the area, all of which are significantly closer than the closest ocean beach.

• Lake Oroville- Take Highway 99 South to Highway 149 towards Oroville.
• Black Butte Lake Take Highway 32 West through Orland
• Lake Tahoe A bit further but worth the drive.
• Lake Almanor Take Highway 32 to Highway 36 OR take Highway 99 North to Highway 36.
• Whiskeytown Lake Take Highway 32 to Interstate 5 to Highway 299.

Events

There are many regular events that take place in Chico every summer.

• Friday Night Concerts - Free live music at City Plaza every week May-September
• Thursday Night Farmer's Market - Weekly April to September in downtown
• Slice of Chico - Free watermelon and sidewalk sale every July in downtown
• Chico Outlaws season - Local baseball team plays June to August at Nettleton Stadium

Check out Outdoor Activities for more things to do in the Summer and see the Events Board for other events.

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