10:34pm update from meteorologist Dave Hovde: Due to a data storage error our story saying SLO broke a 70-year-old record was not correct. A significant heat event in 1987 set records for the 5th and 6th of October. This information came in rather late and the video elements attached to this story are also incorrect. Thanks to John Lindsey for pointing out the data storage error and providing the correct records: 111 was the record for today from 1987. On that day we were the warmest place in the U.S.
As expected Thursday was a very hot day and San Luis Obispo hit 101 for a high temp which was 22 degrees warmer than average. Elsewhere temps were in the 90s to upper 90s and most records for major communities were narrowly missed.
Friday will see temps just as warm for most areas. It is all driven by offshore winds in the night and morning hours. We’ll see offshore wind averaging about 15 mph but some local gusts could exceed 20-25mph Friday morning.
Friday we’ll see beaches hit the upper 70s and some 80s with the coastal valleys in the 90s to the triple digits with inland temps headed into the upper 90s and also potentially into the triple digits.
A huge ridge has developed over The West. That ridge looks to cover the entire West today into the weekend before it breaks down. Saturday looks a lot like today and Friday, perhaps a few degrees cooler but not much.
The heat slowly fades Sunday into early next week but our forecast shows more warming down the road in the 10-day forecast. We don’t see rain anytime soon.
