Warmer-than-average high temps continue to grip the mountains and interior areas of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties but the extreme temperatures are starting to wane.
Today, the strengthening onshore flow and a deeper marine layer bring cooler temperatures to the inland areas. The marine layer has thickened, rising to 1500 feet along the Central Coast. This cooler trend will continue as the high pressure weakens and lower levels cool down. However, coastal and valley temperatures might see a slight uptick over the weekend as onshore flow diminishes slightly. The temperature rise won't be extreme, and advisories or warnings are not anticipated.
Another critical concern is the increased chance of thunderstorms across the interior regions through Saturday. Significant mid and high-level clouds are already visible in LA and Ventura counties, with models predicting higher moisture levels tomorrow. This scenario raises the risk of dry lightning, which poses a serious threat to firefighters battling ongoing wildfires in the area.
Any rain from these storms is expected to be minimal, but strong updrafts could bring isolated heavy downpours to the mountains and interior areas. While the chances of overnight showers are low, the possibility remains for Saturday morning.
Looking ahead, the high pressure responsible for the extreme heat is expected to weaken and shift slightly eastward early next week. This shift will bring a cooling trend through mid-week, aided by an onshore flow and a weak upper low off the coast of northern California. This change in weather patterns will likely end the thunderstorm chances.
By the latter half of the week, high pressure is expected to return from the east, bringing warmer temperatures primarily to inland areas. High temperatures should remain below advisory or warning levels through at least Friday, with highs 4-8 degrees above normal. However, the warming trend will continue into next weekend.
