SLO County weather forecast: Large swells and warmer temperatures expected this week
The upper-level low-pressure system that brought in a cold air mass from Canada and produced freezing overnight temperatures has moved to the east of California.
High pressure will build behind it and push the jet stream northward, allowing warmer temperatures to develop on Sunday through Tuesday.
Over this period, a pattern of moderate to fresh (13 to 24 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly/offshore) winds will develop during the night and morning, shifting out of the northwest (onshore) and increasing to fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) levels during the afternoon with high temperatures reaching the 70s throughout the Central Coast by Sunday. Temperatures will further warm to the mid- to high-70s on Monday and Tuesday.
Persistent northwesterly (onshore) winds Wednesday through Saturday will allow the marine layer to develop in the coastal regions during the night and morning with areas of fog and mist and will produce cooler temperatures. The northwesterly winds may reach moderate gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph) levels along the coastline on Thursday into Friday.
Surf report
A 954 millibar storm off the Kamchatka Peninsula last Wednesday has generated a long-period west-northwesterly (290-degree, deep-water) swell train. This long-period swell will reach 6 to 8 feet (with a 17- to 19-second period) on Sunday into Tuesday.
Increasing northwesterly winds will produce a 6- to 8-foot northwesterly (300-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 7- to 15-second period) on Wednesday, increasing to 8- to 10-feet on Thursday into Friday.
Seawater temperatures will range between 52 and 54 degrees through Friday.
This week’s temperatures
LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES
SUN | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
32, 69 | 32, 75 | 37, 78 | 42, 73 | 43, 66 | 34, 64 | 32, 65 | 31, 60 |
LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS
SUN | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
39, 71 | 46, 75 | 48, 77 | 48, 69 | 46, 64 | 37, 63 | 39, 64 | 37, 61 |
PG&E safety tip
The long-period swell that is expected to arrive along the Central Coast on Saturday into Monday can create “rogue” or “sneaker” waves. Sneaker waves are deadly, larger-than-average swells that can suddenly and without warning surge dozens of feet higher up the beach than expected, overtaking the unwary. They can break over rocks and lift logs on the beach with deadly force.
The message is simple but important: When you are near the surf, NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE OCEAN.
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.