Good Tuesday, Central Coast!
Here's your weather forecast for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
A large, upper-level high-pressure system continues dominating our weather, stretching from the Central Coast all the way to Texas. This pattern brings warmer and drier conditions away from the immediate coastline.
Night through morning marine layer clouds will be confined to coastal areas, primarily north of Point Conception, continuing through much of this week. The marine layer will spread inland each night but remain limited in scope due to the strong high pressure system overhead.
Heat will peak Wednesday and Thursday across interior valleys and lower mountain elevations in the Santa Lucia Mountains, Santa Ynez Mountains, and Los Padres National Forest areas. Maximum temperatures will range from 95 to 105 degrees in valleys and far interior locations, running 4 to 8 degrees above normal for this time of year.
Overnight lows will also run warmer than typical, with most coastal and valley locations only dropping to around 60 degrees due to the strong temperature inversion and warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures.
Gusty north winds will affect southwest Santa Barbara County each evening and overnight. Most gusts will stay below advisory levels, though isolated gusts up to 45 mph remain possible in the Gaviota area tonight.
Weekend Outlook: The upper-level high pressure system will gradually shift eastward Saturday through Monday. Expect 1 to 2 degrees of cooling each day starting Saturday, with temperatures returning to near or slightly below normal by early next week. Morning marine layer coverage should continue over the Central Coast with minimal low clouds south of Point Conception.
Have a great night, Central Coast!
-Jim
