SLO County weather forecast for the week of May 9: Wind, mist and overcast beaches

We are near the end of our rain season, and this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor shows the entire Central Coast in a “Severe (D2) Drought” classification. Much of the Bay Area increased to “Extreme (D3) Drought” levels.

Last week saw plenty of sun in the coastal regions. For most of this upcoming workweek, you can expect marine low clouds.

“May Gray” will persist along the beaches for most of the day with afternoon clearing in the coastal valleys. Except for overnight low clouds, the inland valleys will remain mostly clear.

Mostly clear skies and strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) northwesterly winds are forecast on Sunday. Sunday’s high temperatures will reach the mid-80s in the inland valleys (Paso Robles) and mid-70s in the coastal valleys (San Luis Obispo). The beaches will range between the low to mid-60s.

Gentle to moderate (8 to 18 mph) northwesterly to southeasterly winds will develop on Monday and will continue through Thursday. These onshore winds will produce a deep marine layer with areas of fog and mist throughout the Central Coast during the overnight and morning.

Over this time frame, most of the beaches will remain overcast throughout the day. Increasing northwesterly winds and clearing skies are expected Friday and Saturday. However, mist and even drizzle may develop during the night and morning along the coastline.

A cold front is forecast to produce increasing southerly winds and a chance of rain on May 18 and 19. However, this far out in time, the models will probably change. So stay tuned.

Surf report

Strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) northwesterly winds will generate a 9- to 11-foot northwesterly (310-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 11-second period) on Sunday. A 6- to 8-foot northwesterly (295-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 11-second period) is forecast along our coastline on Monday, decreasing to 4 to 6 feet by Tuesday. A 3- to 5-foot northwesterly (290-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 12-second period) is forecast along our coastline on Wednesday through Thursday.

Seawater temperatures will range between 50 and 52 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

According to the California Highway Patrol, here are some tips for driving in foggy conditions.

Drive with lights on low beam. High beams will reflect off the fog, creating a “white wall” effect.

Reduce your speed, and watch your speedometer. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion when you might actually be speeding.

This story was originally published May 9, 2021 at 5:05 AM.