SLO County weather forecast for the week of Nov. 15: Gusty winds with light rain later this week

This autumn will continue to produce a mix bag of gusty winds, periods of dry and clear skies and most importantly rain.

Fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) and at times gusty Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds on Sunday through Monday morning will produce dry and clear skies with cool mornings and mild afternoons. High temperatures on Monday will reach the high 70s to the low 80s throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. These warm conditions will be short-lived as a frontal system approaches our region on Tuesday.

A 977 millibar storm will develop off the Washington coastline on Monday. The associated cold front will pass the Central Coast Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) southerly winds, increasing clouds and rain. Current estimates show between 0.25 and 0.50 of an inch of precipitation for most locations. An upper-level trough will follow on Wednesday afternoon with partly cloudy skies and chance of rain showers.

This system will be trailed by strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) northwesterly winds and mostly clear skies on Thursday through Saturday. Long range models suggest that additional wet weather is possible before Thanksgiving, likely on the 23 and 24 of November.

Surf report

An 8- to 10-foot northwesterly (315-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 15-second period) is expected Sunday, decreasing to 6 to 8 feet (with 7- to 14-second period) on Monday. A 4- to 6-foot northwesterly swell is forecast on Tuesday morning.

An 8- to 10-foot westerly (270-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 12-second period) will arrive along the Central Coast on Tuesday afternoon and will remain at this level through Wednesday. Increasing southerly winds will generate 3- to 5-foot southerly seas and a low storm surge on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning. This condition combined with 6.5-foot-high tide on Tuesday could produce minor tidal overflow.

Strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) northwesterly winds along the California coastline will produce a 7- to 9-foot northwesterly (315-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 7- to 11-second period) on Thursday through Saturday.

Seawater temperature will range between 52 and 55 degrees through Saturday.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

PG&E safety tip

PG&E Safety Message: If it rains on Tuesday night into Wednesday, it will mix with dirt and oil that has accumulated throughout the summer, leaving roads slick. The rate of accidents on our freeways in wet weather can increase as much as 300 percent. If you need to drive, please slow down, it takes much longer to stop a moving vehicle with the roads are slippery.

John Lindsey’s is PG&E’s Diablo Canyon marine meteorologist and a media relations representative. Email him at pgeweather@pge.com or follow him on Twitter @PGE_John.

This story was originally published November 15, 2020 at 5:00 AM.