Hold out a little longer, SLO County — rain may be on the way, plus cooler temps

Ania Keenan
·1 min read

The mercury may be high now, but light rain could bring cooler weather to San Luis Obispo County toward the end of the week.

Meteorologist John Lindsey told The Tribune showers could be expected across the county starting Saturday into next Sunday.

Lindsey said the showers were part of a subtropical moisture system moving through Central California that will cause increased humidity and cloud cover in the area.

He said the weather pattern comes from the annual North American monsoon, which, he said, is getting more extreme due to climate change.

“North American monsoon happens every year, but as the climate continues to warm up this will be a more common occurrence moving forward,” Lindsey said. “That’s nothing different or nothing new.”

Along with cloud cover from increased moisture in the air, Lindsey said smoke from nearby wildfires, like the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, could decrease day-time temperatures and lead to more warm nights in the area.

Desmond Pierce, 15, of Templeton, fishes at Atascadero Lake while standing in the cool water. The ducks preferred the shade as temperatures were reading 106 degrees at the lake parking lot on July 5, 2024.
Desmond Pierce, 15, of Templeton, fishes at Atascadero Lake while standing in the cool water. The ducks preferred the shade as temperatures were reading 106 degrees at the lake parking lot on July 5, 2024.

Excessive heat warning extended in SLO County

Meanwhile as of Sunday evening, much of the county was expected to linger under an excessive heat warning through Thursday, with “dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures between 95 and 105,” according to the National Weather Service.

In Paso Robles, temperatures were expected to peak around 110 degrees on Wednesday before slowly dropping into the mid-90s over the weekend.

San Luis Obispo was likely to hit a high of 88 on Wednesday, with temperatures lowering to the high 70s by the end of the weekend.

Along the coast, temperatures should stay in the mid-to-high 60s throughout most of the week and into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.