SLO County weather forecast: Warmer weather ahead, dry pattern through first week of February

Historically, the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport recorded 3.86 inches of rain in January. So far this month, the airport has seen 9.25 inches. Cal Poly (home of climatology for San Luis Obispo) has reported 15.05 inches. The record for January at Cal Poly is 24.63 inches, set in 1969. This record will remain intact, as the Eastern Pacific High will keep the storm track over the Pacific Northwest and allow the Central Coast to dry out through the first week of February, if not longer.

A 1,040 millibar high over the Great Basin will produce moderate to fresh (13 to 24 mph) and, at times, gusty Santa Lucia (northeasterly and or offshore) winds during the night and morning, shifting out of the northwest (onshore) during the afternoon.

This condition will keep the marine clouds out to sea while the jet stream will remain centered over Washington and Oregon, resulting in mostly clear skies with cold mornings and mild afternoons on Sunday through this upcoming week. However, cloud cover will form on the eastern slopes of the Santa Lucia mountains and a few of the inland valleys during the morning. Areas of dense Tule fog are forecast in the Central Valley throughout the day.

Frost will develop throughout the Central Coast on Sunday morning, especially in the wind-sheltered valleys, as cold and denser air pools on the basin floors.

Overnight lows will drop to the low-30s in the inland valleys (Paso Robles) and high-30 in the Coastal Valleys (San Luis Obispo), while daytime highs will reach the mid to high-50s. Temperatures will gradually warm throughout the week.

The Eastern Pacific High will remain anchored off the California coastline, and the atmosphere will be locked into a dry pattern through the first week of February, if not longer.

Surf report

A 6- to 8-foot west-northwesterly (285-degree, deep-water) swell (with a 14- to 17-second period) is expected along our coastline through Sunday morning, increasing to 7- to 9-feet (with an 8- to 15-second period) Sunday afternoon through Monday.

A 7- to 9-foot westerly (275-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 18- to 22-second period) will arrive along our coastline on Tuesday and will remain at this at this height but with a gradually shorter period through Wednesday.

A 5- to 7-foot west-northwesterly (285-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 15-second period) is expected along our coastline on Thursday into Friday.

Seawater temperatures will range between 57 and 59 degrees through Friday.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

John Lindsey is a retired PG&E marine meteorologist. Email him at JohnLindseyLosOsos@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @PGE_John.