SLO County weather forecast: Strong winds and high temperatures to hit the coast

A ridge of high pressure will build over the West Coast, producing Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds, higher temperatures and mostly clear skies. In fact, high temperatures are expected to reach the low 80s in the coastal valleys by Monday.

The Santa Lucia winds will increase to strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) levels with gusts of 45 mph Monday and Tuesday morning near the Estero Bay area along Highway 41, from Morro Bay High School heading toward Atascadero about halfway up the grade. The coastal canyons and parts of eastern San Luis Obispo, including Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo High School and French Hospital Medical Center, may also experience gusty winds. These offshore winds will decrease Wednesday.

Persistent northwesterly (onshore) winds will start Thursday and continue into Sunday. This onshore flow will allow marine low clouds and areas of fog and drizzle to develop during the night and morning hours along the coastline. The onshore flow will also produce cooler temperatures.

The next chance for rain will be late Friday into Saturday morning, when a weak cold front moves into the Central Coast. Another weather system will move into San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties around the end of the month, and that low-pressure system is also forecast to be weak and not expected to produce significant precipitation. However, rain chances will increase into the first week of March, and storms may get stronger by the end of that week.

Surf Report

A 5- to 7-foot northwesterly (295-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 14-second period) is forecast along our coastline Monday into Tuesday.

A 6- to 8-foot westerly (275-degree, deep-water) swell (with a 20- to 22-second period) will arrive Wednesday morning, increasing to 11 to 13 feet (with an 18- to 20-second period) Wednesday afternoon. This swell will decrease to 8 to 10 feet (with a 15- to 17-second period) Thursday.

A 6- to 8-foot west-northwesterly (285-degree, deep-water) swell (with a 22- to 24-second period) will arrive Friday, increasing to 11 to 13 feet (with an 18- to 20-second period) Saturday. This swell will decrease to 8 to 10 feet (with a 15- to 17-second period) next Sunday. High west-northwesterly swell is forecast to arrive March 1 and again on March 3.

Seawater temperatures

Seawater temperatures will range between 56 and 58 degrees through Friday.

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This story was originally published February 21, 2016 at 8:21 PM with the headline "SLO County weather forecast: Strong winds and high temperatures to hit the coast."