Tuesday is looking to be mostly dry with patchy clouds that will linger throughout much of the day. Morning temperatures will stay right around the 40s for the coastal and inland valleys through 9:00 a.m. and closer to the 50s for the beaches. By the afternoon, most daytime highs will once again struggle to get past the upper 50s with the exception of some of the cities in the south coast region. As low-level moisture remains in the atmosphere, it's possible there could still a few sprinkles over the area Tuesday. Northwesterly winds will be back in the forecast Tuesday, ranging from 15-25 miles per hour at their peak.
Rain is still in the forecast for Christmas Day as an upper-level low is expected to travel down the coast from northern California. Weather models show rain could reach northern San Luis Obispo County as early as Tuesday night and continue throughout much of Christmas morning. The afternoon looks to be mostly cloudy, but another round of rain is expected again early Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. During this time, it's possible this rain system could produce moderate rainfall and mountain snow over the mountains and foothills in Santa Barbara County. How much rain could this system produce? Weather models are showing that this storm could bring in at least one inch of rain for most cities across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
By the weekend, conditions will be dry with sunny skies, but cooler temperatures from the mid-50s to the low 60s will remain.
