Will it be too foggy to see Fourth of July fireworks in SLO County? See forecast
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Marine layer may obscure fireworks visibility along SLO County’s coastal areas.
- Paso Robles expected to remain clear with optimal conditions for fireworks.
- Cloud cover and fog likely across SLO on July 4, with clearing inland by mid-day.
Will gloomy weather conditions dampen Fourth of July fun in San Luis Obispo County this year?
Fireworks shows are planned in four SLO County cities, including San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Cayucos and Pismo Beach.
Local meteorologists said persistent cloud cover could limit visibility during scheduled pyrotechnic displays in some parts of the county.
“Most places are going to be probably cloudy, pretty close to or before sunset” on Independence Day, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
However, inland cities have a better chance of clearer views, he said.
Here’s what to know about weather conditions for Thursday, July 3, and Friday, June 4,.
What’s the forecast for SLO fireworks show?
A fireworks show scheduled to start at the end of San Luis Obispo Blues’ home baseball game against the Arroyo Seco Saints around 9 p.m. Thursday.
The show will likely be visible over much of downtown San Luis Obispo if conditions remain clear.
Wofford called the marine layer “a tricky beast” to track, since it’s constantly changing.
“We are expecting clouds to come in overnight,” he said Thursday. “It’s hard to say exactly what time that can be, but it could be right around 8 or 9 p.m. ... (It) might be a close call there.”
Patchy dense fog was expected after 11 p.m. Thursday with mostly cloudy conditions and an overnight low temperature of 52 degrees in San Luis Obispo, according to the National Weather Service’s latest seven-day forecast.
On the Fourth of July, there will be more fog and clouds prior to 11 a.m. in San Luis Obispo.
The marine layer will clear throughout the day with northwest winds up to 15 mph in the afternoon. The high temperature will be 75 degrees.
In the evening, skies will be partly cloudy with a low around 52 degrees.
Will Fourth of July fireworks be visible in Pismo Beach? Cayucos?
Fireworks shows are planned in Pismo Beach and Cayucos around 9 p.m. on Friday, Independence Day.
According to Wofford, a pesky, persistent marine layer will cover the central coast during evening hours over the next few days.
On the Fourth of July, “A lot of the beach areas will be already overcast fairly quickly that evening by 7 p.m. if not earlier,” he said.
John Lindsey, a retired PG&E marine meteorologist, echoed that forecast.
The ever-present marine layer is “kind of like Groundhog Day” — a continuous loop of the same weather conditions day to day, he explained.
“It sure looks like it’s going to be overcast and foggy during the fireworks shows,” Lindsey said.
Even though it’s likely to be overcast during Fourth of July fireworks in Pismo Beach and Cayucos, Lindsey was hopeful the marine layer wouldn’t drop low enough to completely obscure the show.
The cloud deck is likely to remain above 500 feet, he said, so people should still be able to view most of the Independence Day explosives.
Will weather be clear in Paso Robles?
On the Fourth of July, it will be sunny with a high temperature around 89 degrees in Paso Robles, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast.
Conditions will remain clear Friday night with an overnight low temperature around 50 degrees and wind gusts up to 20 mph.
A fireworks show is scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. in Barney Schwartz Park in Paso Robles.
Paso Robles’ inland location means that it will escape the foggy, cloudy conditions impacting coastal areas, Wofford said.
People should have “no problem” seeing fireworks light up the sky in the North County city, he told The Tribune.
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 11:34 AM.
