Happy Friday, Central Coast!
Here's your weather forecast for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties with the Summer Solstice and Father's Day Sunday! Summer officially arrives at 1:24 am on Sunday along the Central Coast.
Well-below-normal temperatures will persist through the weekend across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, with a persistent marine layer producing patchy drizzle and gusty interior winds. A warming trend begins Monday, peaking on Wednesday.
WEEKEND CONDITIONS: Expect three more days of classic June Gloom. Strong onshore flow will drive thick marine layers into coastal valleys and up the slopes of the Santa Lucia and Santa Ynez Mountains each night through morning hours. Low clouds and fog will linger well into early afternoon, with some nearshore areas remaining overcast all day.
Afternoon onshore winds increase a bit, generating gusts of 25 to 35 mph across the interior foothills and western portions of both counties through evening hours.
The deep marine layer will suppress temperatures significantly below seasonal averages. Coastal areas will see highs only in the 60s, while interior valleys struggle to reach the low to mid 70s. The warmest valley locations may briefly touch 80 degrees.
MONDAY'S PATTERN SHIFT A weather pattern change begins Monday as an upper-level high-pressure system from the Arizona-New Mexico border region slowly advances into Southern California. This will compress the marine layer to 1,000 feet or less, dramatically reducing low cloud coverage in interior valleys while strengthening the marine inversion along the immediate coast.
Coastal clearing will become more challenging despite the thinner marine layer. Interior valleys and areas away from immediate coastal influence will experience 3-6 degrees of daily warming, while coastal zones see only modest 1-2 degree increases.
MID-WEEK HEAT PEAK Wednesday represents the warmest day as upper-level heights maximize. Interior valleys across both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties will likely reach the upper 80s to mid 90s. Areas within Los Padres National Forest boundaries may see similar warming trends depending on elevation and marine influence.
There's a 20 percent chance of a quick shower or thunderstorm on Wednesday morning as some moisture from the south tries to back into the Central Coast.
Expect slight cooling next Thursday as the upper-level high-pressure system begins weakening, though temperatures will remain well above weekend levels.
Have a great weekend, Central Coast!
-Jim
