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The National Weather Service is predicting up to half an inch overnight and into Friday.
Another weather system is expected to arrive on Saturday, bringing with it another three quarters of an inch of rain. For Sunday, forecasters are calling for about a tenth of an inch.
Patchy fog is forecast for Sunday night and Monday morning, to be followed by clear and sunny conditions later in the week.
As for temperatures, nighttime conditions are forecast to be in the low 40s through Saturday, before dropping into the high 30s from Monday through Wednesday.
Daytime temperatures will be in the low to high 50s through Wednesday, with the exception of Sunday, when they drop into the high 40s.
Winds also are in the forecast through Sunday, with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Arcata Economic Development Corp. has received $5 million in COVID-19 Relief funding that is administered by the California Economic Development Department through the Community Economic Resilience Fund established by AB 2342 (Cervantes).
Thirteen regions across the state were funded, including the Redwood Coast Region, to support equity-centered carbon neutral economic development.
These planning funds will establish a High Road Transition Collaborative, or HRTC, for Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties.
Together, stakeholders will design a blueprint for the region’s recovery from COVID-19 and transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
The project will deploy a community and worker-centered approach to economic planning and development.
This 18-month process is designed to be complementary to existing economic development work within the region.
The local convener is the California Center for Rural Policy, or CCRP, at Cal Poly Humboldt, a research and evaluation center that promotes the health and well-being of people living in rural California.
The local community outreach and engagement partner is North Coast Opportunities, the Community Action Agency for Lake and Mendocino counties.
Recruitment is underway for talent to support communications, outreach, and administration for this new project.
“CCRP is excited to leverage its long history of participatory research and engagement in the region in the service of CERF goals. Our mission is to set a table where people of all backgrounds, workers, business leaders, professionals, and policymakers can collaborate towards a vision of a thriving, carbon neutral, and equitable future,” said CCRP Executive Director Dawn Arledge.
The first step will be to establish the Redwood Coast Region HRTC and begin work on the Regional Plan that is due to the State in March.
The HRTC will meet on Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. For more information about the Redwood Coast Region CERF project contact CCRP at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — There are dozens of beautiful dogs of many breeds waiting to be adopted this week at Clearlake Animal Control.
Among this week’s available dogs are two handsome German shepherds, “Evie,” a black female, and Willie, who has a black and tan coat.
There currently are 33 adoptable dogs at the shelter available to be adopted into new homes.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
The Federal Reserve’s policy-setting committee lifted interest rates on Feb. 1, 2023, by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%. The increase, the smallest since the Fed began an aggressive campaign of rate hikes in March 2022, came amid signs the fastest pace of inflation in decades is cooling. But the Fed also indicated more rate hikes are coming.
So why is the Fed slowing the size of rate increases now, and what does it mean for consumers? We asked finance scholar William Chittenden from Texas State University to explain what’s going on and what comes next.
Why did the Fed raise rates by only a quarter point?
The Fed is trying to figure out whether last year’s rate hikes have slowed the economy enough to get inflation near its target of about 2%.
By raising what’s known as the Fed funds rate, the U.S. central bank makes borrowing more expensive, which means buying large-ticket items, like cars and homes, is more costly. This should lead to fewer people buying cars, which will likely result in lower car prices.
In 2022, the Fed lifted rates eight times by a total of 4.25 percentage points, which helped prompt inflation to drop to an annual pace of 6.5% in December from 9.1% at its peak in June.
To understand why it’s so hard for the Fed to figure out if its rate hikes worked, think of the economy as a fully loaded oil tanker out in the ocean. Naturally, it’s chugging along as fast it can to reach a specific destination, but it takes a long time from the captain “stepping on the brakes” to when the ship actually stops moving forward.
Similarly, the Fed is raising rates to slow the economy – sort of like stepping on the brakes – and bring inflation down to 2%, but there’s often a long delay between the hikes and their impact on the economy.
But if the Fed eases off the brakes too early, inflation could remain high. If it presses on them too hard, unemployment will likely shoot up and the economy will slide into a recession. By increasing interest rates only a quarter-point, the Fed is signaling that it believes the economy has begun to slow down and is on a path to 2% inflation.
Does this mean borrowing costs will start coming down?
The Fed funds rate acts as a base rate for shorter-term interest rates, such as for car loans and credit cards. As it goes up, short-term borrowing rates increase by about the same amount.
The financial markets are predicting about an 80% chance the Fed’s benchmark lending rate will top out around 5% this summer – which means they’re expecting rates to go just a little bit higher.
Rates on shorter-term borrowing are unlikely to come down, but if markets are right, they probably won’t increase much more.
However, for long-term borrowing costs, as on a 30-year mortgage, rates are already coming down and are likely to fall some more – good news for homebuyers.
How about inflation – can consumers expect prices to start falling?
Overall, yes, inflation is already starting to come down – and prices on some items are even falling.
For example, used-car prices, which soared earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, have dropped in recent months, while prices of dozens of other items, such as flour, clothes and gasoline, have eased.
However, some costs continue to increase. Egg prices soared after the supply was disrupted because of avian flu, which killed off nearly 53 million egg-laying hens. Unfortunately, increasing interest rates will not bring back those birds or help decrease the cost of eggs.
In addition, nothing the Fed does will affect the war in Ukraine, which has led to higher world wheat and energy prices.
The point being, the Fed can’t really address certain types of inflation.
Does all this mean the U.S. will avoid recession?
That’s the trillion-dollar question.
Fed officials have at times sounded hopeful that they can bring down inflation without crashing the economy – a so-called soft landing. During his press conference after the latest announcement Feb. 1, 2023, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was more cautious, saying it’s too soon to declare victory. But he noted: “We can now say for the first time that the disinflationary process has started.”
Economic forecasters have been less confident that the U.S. will avoid a recession. On average, economists surveyed this past month by The Wall Street Journal forecast a 61% probability of a recession in 2023. In addition, key economic indicators point to a recession, while the yield curve – a bond market metric that has been successful at predicting recessions – currently puts the odds at about 47%.
In my view, this all adds up to: Nobody really knows. My best advice to consumers out there is to prepare financially for a recession, but let’s not give up hope that the Fed can slow the economy without crashing it.
William Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance, Texas State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Pointing to damaging arson fires in Lake County and other parts of the state, Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire has introduced a new bill to give prosecutors the ability to pursue tougher sentences for cases of aggravated arson.
On Wednesday, McGuire introduced Senate Bill 281.
In a statement on the bill, McGuire’s office noted, “The alarm couldn’t be louder. Our state is facing unprecedented, destructive wildfires — 14 of the largest 20 wildfires in California history have occurred just in the last decade.”
McGuire said megafires have threatened the way of life for millions of Californians. Some of these horribly destructive wildfires have been set by arsonists.
That’s why he announced the introduction of SB 281, which is meant to extend California's law that throws the book at individuals who are convicted of aggravated arson.
This is an issue that McGuire has championed for years, because some of California’s most destructive wildfires and commercial fires have been started by arsonists.
Among those fires was the 2016 Clayton fire that burned tens of thousands of acres near Lower Lake and destroyed 300 structures, including 189 homes. In September 2019, Clearlake resident Damin Anthony Pashilk was sentenced to more than 15 years in state prison for setting that fire.
McGuire also pointed to the July 2021 fire set by Clearlake Oaks resident Tori Elizabeth Brannon that destroyed or damaged 11 buildings in Clearlake Oaks.
Other arson fires McGuire referenced were the massive five-alarm fire that destroyed a Home Depot in San Jose, causing more than $17 million in damages and the Hopkins fire in Mendocino County that destroyed 30 homes and burned 257 acres.
“An aggravated arson charge is reserved for the worst of the worst — the most heinous arsonists who exhibit specific intent to inflict damage and destruction in our communities or who are a continuing threat to society. We need to ensure this groundbreaking public safety law remains in place and we’ll be fighting to get this bill passed working alongside first responders and district attorneys from across the Golden State,” McGuire said.
There are three possible ways to be convicted of aggravated arson: Any prior arson convictions within the last 10 years; damage or destruction of five or more inhabited structures; or damage and other losses and fire suppression costs in excess of $8.3 million.
“This legislation will provide district attorneys across California with the tools needed to properly punish repeat criminals who wreak havoc in our communities through death and destruction,” said Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez. “Aggravated arson affects the well-being of all Californians and should be addressed accordingly. We look forward to working with Sen. McGuire to see SB 281 across the finish line."
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — The impact of the series of atmospheric rivers that hit California in late December and early January is showing up in the state’s strong snowpack.
The Department of Water Resources, or DWR, on Wednesday conducted the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station.
The manual survey recorded 85.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 33.5 inches, which is 193% of average for this location on Feb. 1.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.
Statewide, the snowpack is 205% of average for this date.
Two months remain until April 1, when the state snowpack usually peaks.
The snowpack received a significant boost from one of the wettest three-week periods on record in California, following the driest three-year period on record.
California also experienced above-average precipitation in December just months after one of the hottest heat waves in state history in September.
“California has always experienced some degree of swings between wet and dry, but the past few months have demonstrated how much more extreme those swings are becoming,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth on Wednesday. “California is preparing for more intense and dangerous climate swings by bolstering both drought and flood preparation. While today’s results are good news for water supplies, we know from experience how quickly snowpack can disappear if dry conditions return in the months ahead.”
DWR’s electronic readings from 130 snow sensors placed throughout the state indicate the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 33.7 inches, or 205% of average for this date.
While those results are currently outpacing the record 1982-83 season, two months still remain.
Every day it does not rain or snow, the conditions are drying. If California returns to dry conditions and the next two months lack additional precipitation, like what the state experienced last season, a significant snowpack early in the winter can quickly disappear.
Periodic rain and snow over the next several months will be key to get the biggest water supply benefit from the state’s snowpack without posing additional flood risks.
“Large snow totals like today are a welcome sight but also present new challenges for water managers as they walk the fine line between water supply and flood control,” said DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. “As we move into the snowmelt season in the spring, water managers will work to manage flood risk and optimize the snowpack’s water supply benefits during peak demands in the summer.”
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30% of California’s water needs and is an important factor in determining how DWR manages the state’s water resources.
Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California's “frozen reservoir.”
DWR is currently conducting Airborne Snow Observatory, or ASO, survey flights to collect more information on the snowpack accumulated by these powerful storms.
Data from these flights, which use LiDAR and spectrometer technology to measure snowpack across broad swathes of key watersheds, will be used by DWR to get an accurate account of California’s snowpack and its water content and will increase the accuracy of water supply runoff forecasts.
Since the storms California experienced in January saw variable snow elevations, this data, combined with snow course and snow sensor data, will help DWR understand how snow has been distributed across the Sierra Nevada.
These new data tools align with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “California’s Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future” which calls for modernizing how the state manages water.
The tools will also help inform flood management decisions, which will be increasingly important as California swings between extreme drought and flood.
The recently adopted 2022 Update to the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan emphasizes the importance of flood management and the need to adapt California’s flood infrastructure to a rapidly changing climate.
As the state prepares for a hotter, drier future, Californians should continue to use water wisely so that we can have both a thriving economy, community, and environment.
DWR encourages Californians to visit SaveOurWater.com for water saving tips and information.
As more swings between wet and dry conditions continue in the future, the public education campaign promotes making water conservation a way of life year-round.
DWR conducts five media-oriented snow surveys at Phillips Station each winter near the first of each month, January through April and, if necessary, May.
The next survey is tentatively scheduled for March 1.
