Hearst Castle among homes, businesses without power

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• Winds dying down, but expect an evening chill in North County

  Winds dying down, but expect an evening chill in North County

  The strong winds that raked San Luis Obispo County on Thursday, causing widespread power outages and forcing tours at Hearst Castle to be canceled, should end by this afternoon.

  But a new weather challenge will develop: Over the next five nights, temperatures in the North County will be below freezing. The National Weather Service said overnight lows in Paso Robles and Atascadero won’t rise out of the 20s until Wednesday morning.

  The winds that blasted much of California on Thursday were the result of interaction between high pressure off the coast near San Francisco and low pressure over Southern California, said John Lindsey, a PG&E community relations specialist and Central Coast weather expert.

• Wind causes power outages around SLO County

  Wind causes power outages around SLO County

  UPDATE 6:10 p.m. Tuesday: Nearly 200 PG&E customers lost power this afternoon as strong winds raked San Luis Obispo County.

  Tom Cuddy, a spokesman for the utility, said the winds caused tree limbs to fall into power lines, snapping them.

  Cambria had the most outages, but Cuddy said crews were aiming to restore power to customers there by early evening.

• Week's winds were tough, but look at '77

  Week's winds were tough, but look at '77

  John Lindsey

  I knew it was bad when I saw the photographs of overturned semitrailers near Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County. I was stunned to see concrete light poles cracked in half by the wind's force in Los Angeles County.

  Most of the time, Central Coast surfers, kayakers and beachgoers lovingly anticipate the arrival of the northeasterly (offshore) winds with the warmer temperatures and sparkling clear skies they often bring. During late fall and winter, coastal temperatures will often be warmer than the inland temperatures in the North County. However, like many things in life, too much of a good thing can be bad. So it was last week with a strong offshore wind event.

• Wild winds whip San Luis Obispo County

  Wild winds whip San Luis Obispo County

  Nearly 200 PG&E customers lost power Tuesday afternoon when strong winds raked San Luis Obispo County.

  Tom Cuddy, a spokesman for the utility, said the winds caused tree limbs to fall into power lines, snapping them.

  Cambria had the most outages, but Cuddy said crews were aiming to restore power to customers there by early evening.

• Week’s winds were tough, but look at ’77

  Week’s winds were tough, but look at ’77

  I knew it was bad when I saw the photographs of overturned semitrailers near Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County. I was stunned to see concrete light poles cracked in half by the wind’s force in Los Angeles County.

  Most of the time, Central Coast surfers, kayakers and beachgoers lovingly anticipate the arrival of the northeasterly (offshore) winds with the warmer temperatures and sparkling clear skies they often bring. During late fall and winter, coastal temperatures will often be warmer than the inland temperatures in the North County. However, like many things in life, too much of a good thing can be bad. So it was last week with a strong offshore wind event.

  Winds are caused by air flowing from high pressure to low pressure, like air escaping from an inflated balloon. When an area of high pressure moves closer to a region of low pressure, the differential gives rise to stronger winds.