Update: Strong high-pressure aloft remains in place over the region Sunday evening. A hot air mass will remain in place away from the coast over the coming days, as ridging aloft will continue to be anchored over and near the state.
Closer to the coast, the marine influence will moderate the air mass. Above-normal temperatures are still expected for this time of year across the area.
However, an Excessive Heat Warning has now been extended until 9 p.m. on Thursday across the interior portions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, where the hottest (and near record) temperatures will occur.
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Hello, Central Coast! Despite the ongoing heatwave in the interior, the marine layer and onshore flow have kept our beaches and some coastal valleys a bit cooler. The heatwave is expected to continue through this workweek. Stay hydrated, limit your sun exposure, and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Weather headlines:
- A long-lasting and extreme heatwave will continue across the mountains and interior areas of the Central Coast through the workweek, with a high risk for dangerous heat illness and fast-growing fires.
- Temperatures across the coastal communities have returned to normal levels for now due to the marine layer inversion and onshore flow.
- Night-to-morning patchy low clouds and dense fog are expected for the beaches and coastal valleys for the next few days.
Extended forecast:
Most of the area between San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles counties has cooled since Saturday. The southern portion of the Central Coast warmed by 3-6 degrees, due to earlier clearing of low clouds.
For most areas except the far interior, high temperatures are expected to warm at least a few degrees through Wednesday, mostly due to weakening onshore flow and the return of some northerly flow to southern Santa Barbara County and parts of the northern mountains.
Strong high pressure aloft will remain in place through most of this workweek, keeping temperatures very hot across the deserts and other far interior areas in San Luis Obispo County and the mountains.
The main change coming in the next few days is the return of weakening onshore flow, which is the biggest factor for warming west of the mountains.
As the onshore flow weakens over the next few days the marine layer will be clearing sooner, but may still hug the coastline through the afternoon, especially in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Developing northerly flow along the Central Coast and southern Santa Barbara County will likely limit or possibly eliminate the stratus in those areas.
Portions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties are still seeing smoke from the Lake Fire on Sunday.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Quality Watch on July 6th for Santa Barbara County until conditions improve.
Officials say that the Lake Fire produced significant smoke in the skies.
As far as cloud cover, varying amounts of night and morning low clouds and fog will affect the coast and some coastal valleys. Patchy dense fog may occur. throughout our coastal communities.
High Temps for Monday:
- Beaches will see high temps in the 60s and 70s.
- Coastal Valleys will see high temps in the 70s, and 80s. However, the Santa Ynez Valley will see high temps near 90 degrees.
- Inland Valleys will see high temps in the 100s.
Have a great day, Central Coast!
