San Luis Obispo ‘absolutely smashed’ daily heat record. Here’s how hot it got
Before the sun had even risen Wednesday, San Luis Obispo temperatures were already hitting scorching levels.
At 4:56 a.m., gusty Santa Lucia winds were creating hot temperatures across the city of San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, according to a tweet by PG&E meteorologist John Lindsey.
Cal Poly recorded a temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit, he said, and the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport reported 92 degrees.
Only five hours later, Cal Poly hit 104 degrees and the airport hit 97 degrees — shattering the previous daily high temperature records for Aug. 19, Lindsey said.
“Those are records,” Lindsey told The Tribune on Wednesday afternoon. “Really, the Cal Poly temperature, which the historical record is based on, smashed the record. Absolutely smashed it.”
San Luis Obispo’s record-breaking highs are part of a series of sweltering temperatures across the Central Coast as an unusually long heat wave presses down upon California.
On Tuesday, Lindsey said San Luis Obispo also broke its daily heat record, recording a temperature of 100 degrees at the airport.
That busted the previous 1994 high temperature record for that date of 97 degrees. It was also the first time San Luis Obispo had reached triple digits since September 2019.
Paso Robles also broke several of its heat records this week, but it seemed unlikely to do so Wednesday, Lindsey said.
On Tuesday, the Paso Robles Municipal Airport reached 111 degrees at 2:40 p.m., breaking the old daily record of 109 degrees set in 1967, Lindsey said. This marked the third day in a row that Paso Robles broke a daily heat record.
As of Wednesday afternoon, however, temperatures at the Paso Robles Airport had only reached 97 degrees — “substantially cooler” than temperatures the last few days, Lindsey said.
Lindsey said he thinks that the smoke from fires burning in Big Sur has actually helped to keep the North County cooler on Wednesday by providing cloud coverage.
That wasn’t the case in San Luis Obispo, he added, where winds seem to have swirled in hot temperatures before the sun was even up.
The current weather models continue to indicate that warm to hot conditions will continue through Aug. 22, though coastal areas might start getting some relief as soon as Thursday, Lindsey previously told The Tribune.
Stay inside, stay cool, National Weather Service advises
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties through Thursday night, warning of extreme temperatures across the region.
The NWS also warned of an increased risk of heat-related illnesses, particularly among sensitive populations such as the very old and the very young, those without air conditioning and those who engage in prolonged outdoor activities.
People are advised to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors, according to the NWS.
They should also take extra precautions when working or spending time outside, including rescheduling strenuous activities to the early morning or evening. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing and take frequent breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments if you do have to work outside, the NWS advised.
People should also be aware of the signs of heatstroke and heat-related illness.
This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 3:25 PM.
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