O mercury may be high nowbut light rain could bring cooler weather to San Luis Obispo County later in the week.
Meteorologist John Lindsey told The Tribune that rain could occur across the county Saturday through next Sunday.
Lindsey said the rains are part of a subtropical moisture system moving through central California and will cause increased humidity and cloudiness in the area.
He said the weather pattern comes from the annual North American monsoon, which he said is becoming more extreme due to climate change.
“Monsoons in North America happen every year, but as the climate continues to warm, this will be a more common occurrence in the future,” said Lindsey. “This is nothing different or anything new.”
Along with cloud cover due to increased moisture in the air, Lindsey said smoke from nearby wildfires such as Fire Lake in Santa Barbara Countyit could lower daytime temperatures and lead to warmer nights in the area.
Excessive Heat Warning Extended in SLO County
Meanwhile, as of Sunday night, much of the county was expected to remain under an excessive heat warning through Thursday, with “dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures between 95 and 105,” according to the National Weather Service.
In Paso Robles, temperatures were expected to peak at around 110 degrees on Wednesday before slowly dropping into the mid-90s over the weekend.
San Luis Obispo would likely reach a high of 88 on Wednesday, with temperatures dropping into the 70s by the end of the weekend.
Along the coast, temperatures are expected to remain in the 60s for most of the week and through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
