Heat wave to hit SLO County. Here’s how long triple-digit temperatures will last
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Extreme heat watch issued for inland SLO County from Wednesday to Saturday night
- Paso Robles could hit 105 degrees, nearing or surpassing historic heat records
- Health officials urge hydration, limited exposure and checking on vulnerable groups
Triple-digit temperatures are expected to scorch parts of San Luis Obispo County this week, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
The “kind of long duration heat wave” is set to last through Sunday and could result in record-setting temperatures, said Kristan Lund, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
The high temperatures are a result of a very strong upper-level ridge of high pressure moving westward towards the Central Coast, said John Lindsey, a retired PG&E marine meteorologist.
“It’s going to produce really hot temperatures in the inland areas and warm temperatures in the coastal valleys,” he said.
The weather service warned that temperatures up to 105 could hit parts of the county.
Here’s what to know:
Extreme heat watch issued for parts of SLO County
The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat watch for San Luis Obispo County’s interior valleys and mountains, as well as the Cuyama Valley, southern Salinas Valley and Santa Lucia Mountains.
These areas include the cities and towns of New Cuyama, La Panza Range, San Miguel, Paso Robles, Caliente Range, Big Pine Mountain, Figueroa Mountain, Creston, Atascadero, Templeton, Carrizo Plain, San, Rafael Mountain, Shandon, Irish Hills, Lake Nacimiento, Santa Margarita Lake and Hearst Castle.
The extreme heat watch will be in effect from 1 p.m. Wednesday through 9 p.m. Saturday.
During this time period, the weather service said residents are at “high risk for dangerous heat illness,” especially if they are very young, very old, active outdoors or without air conditioning.
Lund advised impacted people to stay hydrated and reassess plans to do outdoor activities this week.
“Check in on vulnerable family, friends, neighbors, this could be elderly youth and young pets, anyone who’s more susceptible to heat,” she said.
What’s the weather forecast for San Luis Obispo?
High temperatures in San Luis Obispo are expected to reach into the high 80s, according to the National Weather Service’s latest seven-day forecast.
On Monday, the San Luis Obispo area was expected to see sunny weather with wind gusts up to 25 mph and a high temperature near 80 degrees.
The temperature will drop to 56 degrees overnight with mostly clear conditions, the forecast said.
Skies will be sunny Tuesday with a high of 77 degrees and winds up to 20 mph, according to the weather service. The overnight low will dip to 56 degrees.
Conditions will remain sunny and clear Wednesday, with a high of 83 degrees and some wind gusts up to 20 mph. Wednesday night will have a low temperature of 55 degrees.
Thursday will be sunny and the hottest day of the week, with a high near 87 degrees, the weather service said. Patchy fog will roll in after 11 p.m. Thursday evening, dropping the overnight low to around 57 degrees.
While temperatures are forecast to be toasty in SLO this week, Lund said, the area could experience “onshore flow, or sea breeze, and that can actually keep things cooler.”
However, she urged people to take precautions in case hotter weather arrives.
On Friday, there will be some fog in the morning followed by sunny weather and a high temperature of 83 degrees.
Temperatures will start to fade on Saturday and Sunday with mostly sunny conditions and a high near 79 degrees and 78, respectively.
How hot will Paso Robles be during heat wave?
Paso Robles will experience some of the area’s hottest temperatures, with daytime temperatures as high as 105 degrees, the National Weather Service said in its forecast.
On Monday, conditions were expected to be sunny and hot with a high near 90 degrees.
The overnight low will drop to around 54 degrees with wind gusts up to 25 mph, the weather service said.
Tuesday will be clear with a high temperature of 92 degrees. Overnight, the temperature will drop to 54 degrees with winds as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday will be sunny and hot with a high near 98 degrees.
Overnight temperatures will dip to 56 degrees, the weather service said.
Will Paso Robles break temperature record?
Paso Robles will see its hottest temperatures on Thursday and Friday, when the North County city will experience highs up to 105 each day. Overnight lows will dip to the mid- to high 50s.
Both days could break heat records if temperatures exceed the forecast.
Paso Robles reached a record high of 107 degrees on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22 in 1982, according to Lund.
In 2025, the city could see high temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees above normal for this time of year, Lund said.
Triple-digit heat will subside on Saturday with a high near 99 degrees. The overnight low will be 59.
Sunday will be slightly cooler with a high around 97 degrees, according to the forecast.
