SLO County rainy and cold; chance of snow at 3,000 feet

Most of February was dry, however, a series of storms at the end of the month brought the rainfall total to above average. The San Luis Obispo County Airport recorded 4.40 inches this February; the usual amount is 3.54 inches.

The trajectory of the Jet Stream (a narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper atmosphere) brought plenty of cold air from Canada to the Central Coast.

Historically, the average temperature during February is 53.8 degrees F. Last month, it was 50.4 degrees.

The Paso Robles Airport was colder; typically, the average temperature is 50.1 degrees during February, but this past month it was 46.0. Consequently, snow reached as low as 800 feet in the North County.

A cold front will generate steady rain Sunday morning, turning to scattered rain showers on Sunday afternoon, ending by Sunday night.

Total rainfall amounts are forecast to range between 0.10 and 0.50 of an inch throughout San Luis Obispo County, with up to 1.5 inches of rain along the Big Sur coastline. Snow levels are forecast to drop to 3,000 feet.

High temperatures on Sunday will struggle to reach the mid-50s, with the inland valleys (Paso Robles) dropping to near-freezing levels, while the coastal valleys (San Luis Obispo) will lower to the low-40s.

Partly cloudy skies with night and morning low marine clouds will return on Monday and continue through Tuesday; however, an upper-level trough could produce a few scattered rain showers on Monday afternoon in the inland valleys.

Another cold front will produce a few scattered rain showers and low-elevation snow on Wednesday. The main impact of the system will be to generate moderate-gale force to fresh-gale force (32 to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph) northwesterly winds on Wednesday afternoon into Thursday.

Santa Lucia (northeasterly/offshore) winds will push the marine layer out to sea, leaving behind mostly clear skies and warmer temperatures on Friday into the weekend. The next chance of rain is expected on March 16

Surf report

A 9- to 11-foot northwesterly (300-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 14-second period) is expected along our coastline on Sunday, decreasing to 6- to 8-feet with the same period on Monday.

Increasing northwesterly winds off the California coastline will generate a 5- to 7-foot northwesterly (310-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 11-second period) on Tuesday through Wednesday, building to 8- to 10-feet on Thursday.

A 5- to 7-foot northwesterly (300-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 11-second period) is expected along our coastline on Friday.

Seawater temperatures will range between 52 and 54 degrees through Friday.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

John Lindsey’s is a longtime meteorologist who lives in Los Osos. Email him at JohnLindseyLosOsos@gmail.com.