Winds, heat, critically dry brush raise fire risk in Atascadero this week
Temperatures expected to climb through the week
– Offshore winds and a warming trend are expected to reach Atascadero and the rest of North San Luis Obispo County beginning Tuesday, with heat building through the weekend and vegetation already at critically dry levels, according to the National Weather Service and PG&E.
Forecasters with the weather service’s Los Angeles/Oxnard office said Tuesday will bring the region’s first widespread offshore wind event in some time, with north to northeast winds across much of the forecast area. In Atascadero, northeast winds around 5 mph are forecast Tuesday morning, becoming west-northwest in the afternoon.
A wind advisory is in effect from 6 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, but it covers the Santa Barbara County coast and mountains, the Ventura County mountains and the Interstate 5 corridor, not San Luis Obispo County. Gusts of 30–45 mph are expected in those areas.
Forecasters said there is a 40 percent chance the warmest valleys reach triple digits Friday or Saturday, and that heat advisories are almost certain for many areas, with heat warnings possible.
The weather service forecast for Atascadero calls for sunny skies and a high near 80 degrees Monday, warming to near 88 Tuesday through Thursday and near 90 Friday, with overnight lows in the 50s.
Weather Underground’s 10-day forecast for Atascadero shows highs of 88 Friday and 90 Saturday, with overnight lows warming from the upper 40s into the low 60s. Its extended outlook shows the heat hanging on into next week, with highs of 92 on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and 94 on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
PG&E’s seven-day forecast shows no Public Safety Power Shutoff events planned through Oct. 4. In its Sunday forecast, the utility said brush moisture is at or near its annual low, with most species at critically flammable levels, and that lower-elevation grass is fully cured.
The City of Atascadero encourages residents to know their evacuation zone and to sign up for emergency alerts through ReadySLO. Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services also offers a free wildfire risk consultation that reviews defensible space and home-hardening options.
The latest forecast is available from the National Weather Service. PG&E’s power shutoff outlook is posted on its PSPS 7-day forecast page, and more wildfire preparedness information is available on the city’s emergency preparedness page and from ReadySLO.
