‘Mini heat wave’ is coming to SLO County. Here’s how hot it will get
Above-average temperatures and strong breezes are headed to San Luis Obispo County as a minor heat wave sweeps the region, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures in parts of Central and Southern California will be “as much as 20 degrees above normal for this time of year on Thursday,” the weather agency said in an X post on Tuesday.
Unusually hot weather will hit Paso Robles, with high temperatures about 16 degrees above average, according to the weather service.
San Luis Obispo could see temperatures rise to 10 degrees higher than usual.
“Daytime high temperatures will be well above normal ... away from the coast through Friday,” the weather service said in a forecast discussion.
Meteorologist Ryan Kittell said inland areas of the Central Coast will experience a “mini heat wave.”
Here’s what to know:
What is the weather forecast in San Luis Obispo?
High temperatures in San Luis Obispo are expected to reach into the low 80s over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service’s latest seven-day forecast.
“We’re looking at some pretty nice weather, at least for the next couple of days,” Kittell told The Tribune.
On Wednesday, the San Luis Obispo area will see its hottest weather of the week, according to Kittell.
Wednesday was expected to be sunny with wind gusts up to 25 mph and a high near 80 degrees.
The low temperature will dip to 51 degrees overnight with some clouds and increasingly breezy conditions, the forecast said.
SLO will be mostly cloudy on Thursday morning, according to the weather service.
Throughout the day, clouds are expected to clear, giving way to sunny weather with a high of 76 and winds of up to 30 mph.
Gusty winds will continue into Thursday evening as the overnight low drops to 53, the National Weather Service said.
Patchy fog will give way to mostly sunny skies on Friday, when the high will be near 74 in San Luis Obispo. Friday night will be partly cloudy with a low temperature around 50.
Saturday will be sunny and clear with a high near 71 and an overnight low around 48.
Sunday is also expected to be sunny and warm with a high near 73 and an overnight low around 49, according to the forecast.
How high will Paso Robles temperatures get during ‘mini heat wave’?
Paso Robles will experience some of San Luis Obispo County’s hottest temperatures during the heat wave, with high temperatures reaching the high 80s, the National Weather Service predicted in its latest weather forecast.
“We are starting to get into the part of the year where there is a much notable difference between the coast and the valley,” Kittell said.
On Wednesday, Paso Robles was expected to be sunny and breezy with a high near 87 degrees, the weather service said.
In the evening, it will be partly cloudy with light winds and an overnight low temperature around 48 degrees.
Paso Robles will be mostly sunny on Thursday with a high of 87. Clouds will return in the evening hours, and the temperature will dip to 50 overnight, according to the weather forecast.
Friday will be mostly sunny with some calm winds and a high around 86. The overnight low will be 45.
Sunny conditions will continue on Saturday with a high near 76. The overnight low will be around 43.
On Sunday, the weather will remain sunny with a high around 77, according to the National Weather Service.
In the evening, skies will be mostly clear with a low around 44.
Is an April heat wave unusual?
Temperatures are expected to be about five to 15 degrees above normal in SLO County during the heat wave, according to Kittell.
While that kind of balmy weather is unusual, it’s not extraordinary for the month of April, he said, calling it “a weird month” due to its transitional nature between the storm and summer seasons.
“Every April is kind of different,” Kittell said. “Sometimes it’s a cold April with a couple storms that go through, and sometimes it’s pretty dry and we get days like this, where it’s warm with a kind of light offshore flow.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 10:54 AM.
