SLO County weather: Warm weather, moderate winds and dry cold front

If the Global Forecast System (GFS) and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) models verify, San Luis Obispo County will likely experience little precipitation for the remainder of the month. This could mark the end of the rainy season for our region. Historically, about 1.5 of an inch of rain falls at the San Luis Obispo County Airport during April, tapering off to less than 0.50 of an inch in May.

It’s worth noting that historical rainfall patterns do not always hold true, as weather patterns can shift and change over time. However, it’s helpful to know past trends and monitor current weather forecasts to make informed decisions about water usage and other precipitation-related activities. However, as Porky Pig would say, “That’s All, Folks!”

Moderate to fresh (13 to 24 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds will produce a clear sky on Easter Sunday morning, with high temperatures reaching the high-70s in the inland valleys (Paso Robles), the mid-70s in the coastal valleys (San Luis Obispo) and the low-70s along the beaches by the late morning and afternoon, so far, the warmest temperatures of 2023.

Monday morning will be clear, before moderate to fresh (13 to 24 mph) northwesterly winds develop on Monday afternoon into Monday night; consequently, temperatures will cool, and areas of low marine clouds with pockets of fog and mist will develop along the coastline Monday evening. Moderate to fresh (13 to 24 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds on Tuesday morning will produce another clear morning.

With increasing clouds, a dry cold front will move through the Central Coast on Tuesday afternoon. In the wake of this departing cold front, moderate gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph) northwesterly winds will develop later on Tuesday into Wednesday, decreasing to strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) levels on Thursday into Friday. These winds will bring a cooler air mass to the Central Coast, with high temperatures only reaching the 60s.

Surf report

A 4- to 6-foot northwesterly (310-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 15-second period) is expected along our coastline from Sunday into Tuesday morning.

Increasing northwesterly winds along the California coastline will generate 9- to 11-foot northwesterly (320-degree, shallow-water) seas (with a 3- to 5-second period) on Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday, becoming a 7- to 9-foot (320-degree, deep-water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 11-second period) on Thursday. This northwesterly sea and swell will further decrease to 5- to 7-feet by Friday.

Break out your thickest wetsuits; seawater temperatures will range between 51 and 53 degrees through Monday, decreasing to 49 to 52 degrees on Tuesday through Thursday due to increasing amounts of upwelling caused by the gale-force northwesterly winds along the coastline.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

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