SLO weather forecast for the week of Dec. 16: Strong winds and clear skies
The northwesterly winds will decrease to fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) levels and the skies will gradually clear as a 1,027-millibar area of high pressure moves over California.
This area of high-pressure will produce fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds starting Sunday night into Tuesday morning. These winds will produce mostly clear skies and larger temperatures swings with chilly nights and mild days.
A 1,001-millibar storm is expected to develop about 600 miles off the coast of California. This low-pressure system will produce strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) southeasterly winds along the coastline and mostly cloudy skies on Tuesday night into Wednesday. However, this system may be too far out to sea to bring much rain to our area. At this time, between 0.05 and 0.25 of an inch of rain is expected on Wednesday.
Gentle to moderate variable winds, partly cloudy skies, mild temperatures and dense valley fog is forecast on Thursday into Friday.
A potentially stronger low-pressure system is forecast to bring higher amounts of rain next weekend (Dec. 21 and 22). The unsettled weather pattern will continue into Christmas with gusty winds, rain and lowering-snow levels.
Surf report
This northwesterly sea and swell will decrease to 7 to 9 feet (with a 7- to 14-second period) Sunday, further lowering to 5 to 7 feet (with an 11- to 14-second period) on Monday and 3 to 5 feet by Tuesday morning and afternoon.
Strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) southerly winds will generate 6- to 8-foot southerly (180-degree, shallow-water) seas on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. These southerly seas will be followed by a 9- to 11-foot west-northerly (285-degree, deep-water) swell (with a 16- to 18-second period) later on Wednesday morning into Wednesday night, decreasing to 6 to 8 feet by Thursday.
An 8- to 10-foot northwesterly (295-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 14- to 20-second period) is forecast along our coastline on Thursday into next Saturday. The long-range models are indicating that rough oceanographic conditions will continue through the end of the year.
Seawater temperatures will range from 55 and 57 degrees through Monday, increasing to 56 and 59 degrees on Tuesday and will remain at this level through Friday.
This week’s temperatures
LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES
MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
34, 57 | 36, 61 | 40, 59 | 39, 58 | 40, 60 | 42, 59 | 43, 57 |
LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS
MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
40, 63 | 39, 65 | 44, 63 | 44, 63 | 43, 63 | 47, 61 | 48, 62 |
PG&E safety tip
Never, ever touch a downed power line or go near one. Power lines are not insulated like power cords. Always assume the power line is live.
Please call 911 to report. Visit www.pge.com for safety tips regarding electrical lines.