SLO weather forecast for the week of Nov. 25: Rain and snow for Thanksgiving

Forecast update: 2 ‘intense’ storms with heavy rain to hit SLO County. What you need to know

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Fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds are forecast during the morning on Sunday and Monday. These offshore winds will produce mostly clear skies and warmer conditions.

In fact, the temperatures will rise to the low to mid 70s throughout the Central Coast.

Increasing northwesterly winds and clouds will develop Monday afternoon into Tuesday. The northwesterly winds will increase to moderate gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph) levels by Tuesday.

All eyes are on the potential Thanksgiving Day storm.

The European (ECMWF) model is advertising between two to four inches of rain along the Central Coast starting Wednesday and continuing through Thanksgiving Day into Friday.

However, the GFS is indicating much less precipitation as an upper-level low-pressure system moves southward along the coastline into Sothern California. Regardless of rainfall amounts, this system will bring much cooler air to the Central Coast.

Snow levels could drop to 2,500 feet with 1 and 3 feet of snow possible through the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi passes, like Highway 5 on the Grapevine impacting holiday travel.

High temperatures are favored to only reach the low to mid 50s throughout the Central Coast; conditions will need to be monitored closely for any changes. This unstable airmass will also increase the chances of thunderstorms.

Surf report

Moderate gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph) northwesterly winds off the California coastline will generate a 12- to 14-foot northwesterly (315-degree, deep water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 18-second period on Monday into Tuesday.

A 7- to 9-foot northwesterly (310-degree, deep water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 14-second period) is forecast along our coastline on Wednesday, increasing to 8- to 10-feet on Thanksgiving Day. A prolonged period of high northwesterly sea and swell is expected to continue along our coastline through the end of November.

PG&E safety tip

Please slow down at the first sign of rain, especially after a dry spell. This is when many roads are the most slippery, because oil and dust have not washed away.

A slippery road will not give your tires the grip they need. Drive more slowly than you would on a dry road.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

LOWS AND HIGHS, SLO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 4:50 AM with the headline "SLO weather forecast for the week of Nov. 25: Rain and snow for Thanksgiving."