Pismo Beach Ocean / Surf Report
1/18/2021
SEA/SWELL:
Today's 10- to 12-foot northwesterly (290-degree, deep-water)
swell (with an 18- to 20-second period) is forecast to remain
at this level through tonight, decreasing to 8 to 10 feet
(with a 15- to 17-second period) by Tuesday morning. This
swell will further lower to 5 to 7 feet (with an 8- to 14-
second period) by Tuesday night.
A 4- to 6-foot northwesterly (300-degree, deep-water) swell
(with an 8- to 18-second period) will arrive along our
coastline on Wednesday and remain at this level through
Thursday.
Gale-force northwesterly winds along the California Coastline
will generate a 10- to 12-foot northwesterly (310-degree,
deep-water) sea and swell (with a 7- to 17-second period)
on Friday and remain at this level through Sunday.
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS:
Moderate to fresh (13 to 24 mph) and at times gusty Santa
Lucia (northeasterly) winds are forecast on Martin Luther
King Jr. Day, along with above average January temperatures.
A surface low-pressure system near Point Conception will
intensify to 1,001 millibars (mb) as it moves southward
due to a vigorous jet stream powered by a 547 decameter
upper-level low. At this same time, a 1,040 mb ridge of
high-pressure will develop over the Great Basin and will
create a steep pressure gradient that will produce moderate
gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph) easterly
winds with local gusts of 60 mph in the coastal passes,
gaps, canyons, and ridgetops on Tuesday.
During this period, a powerful Santa Ana event wind event is
forecast in Southern California. Unfortunately, rain is not
expected to accompany this low-pressure system, only passing
high-level clouds.
The easterly winds will turn out of the northeast (Santa Lucia)
on Tuesday night into Thursday morning and decrease to strong
to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) levels.
Gentle to moderate (8 to 18 mph) northwesterly winds are
forecast on Thursday afternoon through Friday. The
northwesterly winds will increase to fresh to strong (19
to 31 mph) levels on Saturday. These winds will allow the
marine layer with fog and mist to develop in the coastal
regions and will bring much cooler temperatures to the
Central Coast.
Some of the longer-range models are advertising unsettled
weather with a chance of rain developing on January 25 and
26.
WILDFIRE INDEX RATINGS:
COASTAL: FIA 508
INLAND: FIA 497, 510, 575, 580, 582 and 590
The PG&E Fire Index Ratings will be at extremely high
(R5) levels along our Coastline, in the Coastal and
Inland Valleys and the Far Inland areas, expect for
FIA 590 which will be a very high (R4) levels
today, Tuesday and Wednesday.
DIABLO CANYON METEOROLOGICAL TOWER TEMPERATURE DATA:
Yesterday's Today's Tomorrow's
Min Max Min Max Min Max
59.3° 74.1° 54.5° 65.0° 51.0° 63.0°
PG&E Weather Office in San Francisco predicted temperatures
for San Luis Obispo County
Inland Temperatures, Paso Robles
Actual Predicted
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
38 78 37 78 33 68 32 73 33 69 34 59 29 58 27 60 32 59
Coastal Valleys Temperatures, San Luis Obispo
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
50 86 44 82 46 74 48 77 44 72 42 59 43 57 41 63 42 61
WINDS:
Moderate gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph) easterly
winds with local gusts of 60 mph in the coastal passes,
gaps, canyons, and ridgetops will develop on Tuesday.
The easterly winds will turn out of the northeast (Santa Lucia)
on Tuesday night into Thursday morning and decrease to strong
to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) levels.
Gentle to moderate (8 to 18 mph) northwesterly winds are
forecast on Thursday afternoon through Friday. The
northwesterly winds will increase to fresh to strong (19
to 31 mph) levels on Saturday.
DIABLO CANYON METEOROLOGICAL TOWER WIND DATA:
Today's Maximum Winds:
Max peak winds: NE 20.0 mph @ 10:00 a.m.
Max sustained wind: NE 13.0 mph @ 10:00 a.m.
Monday's Maximum Winds:
Max peak winds: NE 30.0 mph @ 1:30 a.m.
Max sustained wind: NE 19.0 mph @ 0:45 a.m.
SEAWATER TEMPERATURES:
Seawater temperatures will range between 53 and 55 degrees
through next Monday.
OCEAN CURRENTS:
Today's southerly (offshore) flowing current will continue
to flow southward through next Monday.
SEAWATER VISIBILITY:
Seawater visibility was not available today.
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24-Hour Ocean Condition Outlook for Monday 01/18 to Tuesday 01/19
SWELL: DIR. NW HT. 10-12 PER. 18-20 This morning
Remaining at: DIR. NW HT. 10-12 PER. 18-20 This afternoon
Remaining at: DIR. NW HT. 10-12 PER. 17-19 Tonight
WINDS: DIR. NE SPEED 15-20 + 30 This morning
Decreasing to: DIR. NW SPEED 10-15 This afternoon
Increasing to: DIR. NE SPEED 25-30 + 45 Tonight
==========================================================================
48-Hour Ocean Condition Outlook for Tuesday 01/19 to Wednesday 01/20
SWELL: DIR. NW HT. 8-10 PER. 15-17 Tuesday morning
Decreasing to: DIR. NW HT. 6-8 PER. 11-15 Tuesday afternoon
Decreasing to: DIR. NW HT. 5-7 PER. 8-14 Tuesday night
WINDS: DIR. E SPEED 35-45 + 60 Tuesday morning
Remaining at: DIR. E SPEED 35-45 + 60 Tuesday afternoon
Decreasing to: DIR. NE SPEED 25-30 + 45 Tuesday night
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Extended Ocean Condition Outlook:
Higher-energy swell events will continue into the fourth week of 2021.
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