SLO County sees record high temperatures during heatwave
Some areas of San Luis Obispo County are seeing record-high temperatures as a heatwave continues to grip much of the state.
Paso Robles hit 106 degrees on Wednesday — a new record high for the day, while a Tribune photographer noted his car gave a reading of 109 in San Miguel.
Other inland areas of the county are expected to see temperatures between 96 to 106 degrees through Friday evening, according to a heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service.
The California Independent System Operator, which manages much of the state’s electricity grid including for PG&E customers, has extended its “flex alert” for a second day.
The alert asks people to conserve electricity to the extent possible between 4 and 9 p.m., according to its website.
However, thousands of San Luis Obispo County residents were left without power Wednesday evening and through Thursday, according to PG&E.
About 960 customers in the San Miguel, western Templeton and Lake Nacimiento areas were without power beginning just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, and were expected to have power restored by about 4 p.m. Thursday, according to PG&E. As of about 1 p.m. Thursday, nearly 200 residents in that area had their power restored.
Additionally, 1,663 customers in the Santa Margarita area had their power go out at about 11:05 a.m. Thursday, according to PG&E. That power outage, which may have been caused by a downed power line from a car crash, according to a PG&E spokesperson, was expected to be resolved by 5:15 p.m.
There was a 20% chance of thunderstorms predicted for Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service, and some areas may experience windy conditions as well.
The high temperatures combined with the chance of thunderstorms and gusty conditions create the “potential for lightning-caused wildfires,” officials told the Los Angeles Times.
“It’s all a concern,” David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, told the Times. “If a lightning strike starts a fire, then the gusty winds could push it quickly. And aside from thunderstorm activities, it’s going to be pretty warm and dry. ... So with the heat, with any gusty winds — elevated fire danger.”
This story was originally published September 9, 2021 at 1:33 PM.
