SLO County weather forecast for the week of March 30: Rain showers, then clear skies

A weak low-pressure system and associated front from the north will move through the Central Coast on Sunday with widely scattered rain showers with snow levels lowering to 4,500 feet.

This system is expected to produce between 0.10 and 0.25 of an inch of rain.

After Sunday’s chilly system, the Central Coast will transition from a mostly wet March to a mostly dry April as the Eastern Pacific High takes a position off the California coastline.

This condition will usher in the classic Central Coast spring-time weather pattern with gale-force northwesterly winds along the coastline starting Monday and continuing through Friday, if not longer.

Over this period, high pressure will strengthen over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties resulting in a warming trend that will see daytime highs rise to around 5 and 10 degrees above-normal with mid-60s to low 70s along the coast, mid to upper 70s in the coastal valleys and possibly some low 80s across the far interior.

There should be enough northeasterly (offshore) winds during the morning hours to keep the marine layer out to sea.

The dry pattern is likely to continue into next weekend with temperatures cooling slightly but remaining above-normal for early April.

Surf report

The northwesterly (310-degree, deep-water) sea and swell will decrease to 2- to 4-feet (with a 7- to 14-second period) on Sunday. Increasing northwesterly winds off and along the California coastline will generate a 4- to 6-foot northwesterly (310-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 7- to 12-second period) on Monday, increasing to 6- to 8-feet on Tuesday.

This northwesterly sea and swell will further build to 8- to 10-feet (with a 5- to 8-second period) on Wednesday and will remain at this level through Friday.

Seawater temperatures will decrease to 53 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit this week.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

PG&E safety tip

Mylar balloons and power lines don’t mix.

On average each year, metallic balloons that drift into PG&E power lines cause 300 outages and affect electric service to more than 165,000 homes and businesses throughout Northern and Central California.

Make sure helium-filled metallic balloons are securely tied to a weight heavy enough to prevent them from floating away. Never remove the weight. When possible, keep metallic balloons indoors. Never permit metallic balloons to be released outside. Never go near a power line that has fallen to the ground or is dangling in the air.

Always assume downed electric lines are energized and extremely dangerous. Immediately call 911 to alert the police and fire departments.