Rain returns to the forecast for SLO County this week

Remember, Daylight Saving Time ended on Sunday at 2 a.m., when clocks are set back one hour — the annual “fall back” to Pacific Standard Time.

Clear and mild weather will continue through Tuesday, but then rain is expected to develop on Wednesday, followed by increasing winds before a return to dry conditions from Thursday through next weekend.

A strong Eastern Pacific High offshore, paired with weak high pressure over the Great Basin, will support gentle to moderate (8 to 18 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds overnight and in the mornings, shifting out of the northwest and increasing to moderate to fresh (13–24 mph) levels in the afternoons through Monday.

Expect mostly clear skies, crisp mornings, and mild afternoons, with highs in the low to mid-70s across inland valleys (around Paso Robles), coastal valleys (San Luis Obispo), and beaches.

Persistent northwesterly winds on Tuesday will allow marine low-cloud development with pockets of fog and drizzle during the overnight and morning along the coast, bringing cooler beach temperatures.

A 978-millibar storm system will form in the Gulf of Alaska, sending a strong cold front into Oregon and Northern California Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with heavy rain and significant high-elevation snow.

The front will weaken as it moves south toward the Central Coast, bringing increasing clouds, moderate southerly winds, and rain showers later Wednesday. Most areas can expect less than 0.25 inches of rain, though the Santa Lucia and coastal mountains (including Rocky Butte) may receive up to 0.75 inches.

In the front’s wake, fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) north to northwesterly winds, clearing skies and cooler temperatures are expected Thursday into Friday.

A high-pressure system over the Great Basin next weekend will likely bring gusty Santa Lucia winds and mostly clear skies.

Looking ahead to mid-November, an upper-level cutoff low may move across the Central Coast, bringing a chance of rain, lower-elevation snow, and daytime highs only in the 50s.

Surf report

Gulf of Alaska storms will produce a series of long-period swells along the Central Coast this week.

A 6- to 8-foot northwesterly (295-degree deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 16-second period) is forecast along our coastline through Monday, decreasing to 5 to 7 feet (with an 8- to 14-second period) Tuesday. This swell will further lower to 3 to 5 feet (with a 10- to 14-second period) on Wednesday.

A 10- to 12-foot northwesterly (310-degree deep-water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 16-second period) is forecast on Thursday and will remain at this level through Friday, decreasing to 4 to 6 feet (with a 7- to 14-second period) next weekend.

Arriving from the Southern Hemisphere:

A 1- to 3-foot southerly (210-degree deep-water) swell (with a 16- to 18-second period) will remain at this level through Sunday, fading away from Monday into Tuesday.

Seawater temperatures will range between 56 and 58 degrees through next weekend.

On this date in weather history, Nov. 2

1890: The temperature in Los Angeles reached 96 degrees, a November record for 76 years until 1966.

1988: A sharp cold front brought about an abrupt end to “Indian Summer” in the north central U.S. Up to a foot of snow blanketed Yellowstone Park and winds in the mountains near the Washoe Valley of southeastern Wyoming gusted to 78 mph. (David Ludlum)

2007: An intense ridge of high pressure over the Western U.S. produced beautiful fall weather. Temperatures reached the low 80s to low 90s.

2015: Robust upper-level winds strengthened a cold front that produced between 0.25 and 1 inches of rain throughout the Central Coast.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

SUNDAY: 49, 83

MONDAY: 50, 78

TUESDAY: 46, 76

WEDNESDAY: 48, 70

THURSDAY: 47, 68

FRIDAY: 48, 69

SATURDAY: 49, 75

SUNDAY: 50, 76

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

SUNDAY: 54, 80

MONDAY: 54, 73

TUESDAY: 51, 71

WEDNESDAY: 53, 68

THURSDAY: 51, 65

FRIDAY: 52, 68

SATURDAY: 55, 74

SUNDAY: 53, 73

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