This SLO County city could break decades-old heat records over Labor Day weekend
It’s going to be hot, hot, hot in California during the Labor Day holiday weekend — so hot in fact, that one San Luis Obispo County city could break a couple of decades-old heat records.
According to meteorologist John Lindsey, Paso Robles is on track to potentially break two heat records set in 1988.
The first could be shattered on Saturday if temperatures hit the expected high of 111 degrees Fahrenheit — surpassing the same-day record of 109 degrees.
On Sunday, the high is forecast to reach a scorching 114 degrees, three degrees higher than the same-day record of 111 degrees.
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat watch for most of Southern California stretching from Wednesday to Sunday.
“Without a doubt, this is going to be the most significant heat wave of the season so far,” Lindsey told The Tribune on Tuesday. “Inland areas will be sizzling hot. There’s no way to avoid that.”
Although Paso Robles could see record-breaking temperatures, Lindsey added, other parts of San Luis Obispo County will likely not.
In communities in coastal valleys, including San Luis Obispo, temperatures should stay in the 80s and 90s — “not close to any records,” Lindsey said.
According to Lindsey, all previous heat records in San Luis Obispo for that time period are mostly in the 100-degree range.
Temperatures on the coast could potentially be as much as 40 degrees lower than inland areas, he added, thanks to on-shore winds.
“I can’t imagine the beaches breaking any records,” he said.
Relief from the heat could be coming soon, however.
Lindsey said some preliminary models indicated a “big slug of monsoon moisture” moving up the coastline sometime next week. This could result in rain and even thunderstorms, he said.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
%20Cropped.jpg)