Weekend cooling expected, clearer skies through week with warming | Central Coast Weather Report | Local news

So far this July, the high temperature at the Paso Robles Airport has averaged 102 degrees. This month’s mean temperature at the Paso Robles Airport is a record-breaking 80 degrees.

However, much cooler inland temperatures are forecast through the end of July, which will likely drop the mean temperature below 80 degrees.

Closer to the coastline, the Santa Maria Airport has seen a mean of 64 degrees, typical for July.

For this weekend, the area of high pressure responsible for these hot inland temperatures will move southward, while a low-pressure trough will move eastward over Northern California, resulting in much cooler temperatures away from the coastline.

In fact, the inland valleys (Santa Ynez) will only reach the mid-80s on Sunday and Monday, while the coastal valleys (Santa Maria and Lompoc) will reach the mid-60s.

The beaches will reach the high 50s.

A vast 1,034 millibar Eastern Pacific High centered about 2,000 miles to the west of the Central Coast will produce a pattern of fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) northwesterly winds during the afternoon on Sunday into Monday, increasing to strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) levels on Tuesday through Thursday.

This pattern will produce clear skies along the beaches in the late morning and afternoon, with low marine clouds overnight. Inland temperatures will warm back 90 degree levels starting on Thursday and will continue through the upcoming weekend.

The coastal valleys warm to the mid-70s, while the beaches will reach the 60s.

The northwesterly winds will decrease on Friday through the upcoming weekend, producing a deeper and more persistent marine layer with pockets of mist and drizzle overnight in the coastal regions.

The long-range forecast indicates that subtropical moisture could stream over the Central Coast the following week producing variable mid- to high-level clouds and a slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms, primarily in the eastern regions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

This condition will create lower maximum daytime temperatures but warmer overnight lows with higher humidity levels.

Santa Maria Temperatures

Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

50/66 50/65 51/67 51/71 53/73 54/74 55/75 54/74

Santa Ynez Temperatures

Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

49/84 47/83 48/84 51/88 53/90 54/92 56/94 54/91

Lompoc Temperatures

Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

51/65 51/65 52/66 52/70 53/70 53/72 54/74 53/73

Seawater Temperatures

Surface seawater temperatures will range between 53 and 55 degrees through Saturday.

Surf Report

A 3- to 5-foot northwesterly (300-degree deep-water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 8-second period) is forecast along our coastline through Monday.

Strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) northwesterly winds along the coastline on Tuesday through Thursday will generate a 5- to 7-foot northwesterly (305-degree deep-water) sea and swell (with a 4- to 10-second period) on Tuesday through Thursday, decreasing to 4- to 6-feet (with a 5- to 9-second period) on Friday through next Sunday.

Combined with this northwesterly sea and swell, will be a 1- to 2-foot southern hemisphere (200-degree deep-water) swell (with a 13- to 15-second period) Monday into Wednesday.

This Date in Weather History (July 27):

1819: A small but intense hurricane passed over Bay Saint Louis, MS. The hurricane was considered the worst in fifty years. Few houses were left standing either at Bay Saint Louis or at Pass Christian, and much of the Mississippi coast was desolate following the storm. A U.S. cutter was lost along with its 39 crew members. The storm struck the same area that was hit 150 years later by Hurricane Camille. (David Ludlum)

1952: A severe storm with hail up to an inch and a half in diameter broke windows, ruined roofs, and stripped trees of leaves near Benson, AZ. The temperature dropped to 37 degrees, as hail was three to four inches deep, with drifts 46 inches high.

2014: An area of low pressure off the coast interacted with subtropical moisture and marine low clouds resulting in widely scattered rain showers.