Editing San Luis Obispo, California (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Hills in San Luis Obispo (cropped).jpg|thumb|Three of the [[Nine Sisters|Nine Morros]], showing [[Cerro Romauldo]] (left), [[Chumash Peak]] (center), and [[Bishop Peak (California)|Bishop Peak]] (right)]]

San Luis Obispo is located on [[U.S. Route 101 in California|U.S. Route 101]], about {{Convert|31|mi}} north of [[Santa Maria, California|Santa Maria]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|13.25|sqmi}}, of which, {{convert|13.1|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.15|sqmi}} (1.13%) is water.

San Luis Obispo is on the [[West Coast of the United States]] and in the [[Central Coast (California)|Central Coast of California]]. The Pacific Ocean is about {{convert|11|mi|km}} west of San Luis Obispo. The [[Santa Lucia Mountains]] lie just east of San Luis Obispo. These mountains are the headwaters for [[San Luis Obispo Creek]], whose watershed encompasses {{convert|84|sqmi|km2}} surrounding the city and flows to the Pacific Ocean at [[Avila Beach, California|Avila Beach]].<ref>{{cite report |title=San Luis Obispo Creek Watershed Enhancement Plan |author1=Brian B. Stark |author2=Brett Wilkison |date=January 1, 2002 |publisher=The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County |pages=93 |url=http://www.coastalrcd.org/images/cms/files/SLO%20Creek%20Watershed%20Enhancement%20Plan.pdf  |access-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060201/http://www.coastalrcd.org/images/cms/files/SLO%20Creek%20Watershed%20Enhancement%20Plan.pdf }}</ref>

San Luis Obispo is a seismically active area; there are a number of nearby faults including the [[San Andreas Fault]]. The [[Nine Sisters]] are a string of hills that partially run through San Luis Obispo. They are [[geologically]] noteworthy for being [[volcanic plug]]s. Six of the nine peaks are open to the public for recreation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://santalucia.sierraclub.org/ninesis.html |title=The Nine Sisters of San Luis Obispo County |work=[[Sierra Club]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625183618/http://santalucia.sierraclub.org/ninesis.html |archive-date=June 25, 2009  |access-date=February 12, 2007}}</ref>

{{Panorama
|image   = 360-SLO-Calpoly.jpg
|height  = 150
|caption = {{center|Panorama of San Luis Obispo, showing [[Cerro San Luis]] and Bishop Peak in the middle, with [[California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo]] below}}
}}

===Climate===
San Luis Obispo experiences a warm [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Csb''). On average it has 50 days with measurable rain per year, mostly during winter months. Summers are generally warm and sunny, often with morning fog from the Pacific coast. Winters are generally mild, though below freezing lows occur 2.6 nights per year on average.<ref name = NOAA/> Measurable snowfall in San Luis Obispo has not officially been recorded since records began in 1870, although photos show about {{convert|0.3|in|cm}} fell in 1922 and snow flurries were reported in both 1988 and 2006. Temperatures do, however, vary widely at any time of the year, with {{convert|80|°F|°C|abbr=on}} readings in January and February not uncommon.

Although heat extremes above {{convert|110|F|C|1}} have been recorded, the maritime moderation is generally strong due to the proximity to the cool ocean waters. The hottest temperature on record is officially at {{convert|113|F|C}} on September 6, 2020, although a 120 reading was reported in the local news.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/weather-news/article245535995.html| title = 'This is unmatched': SLO reaches an all-time heat record — a whopping 120 degrees| publisher = [[San Luis Obispo Tribune]]| access-date = September 5, 2020}}</ref> Nights remain cool year round due to [[California Current|cold-current ocean air]] in summer and being in a valley subject to [[inversion (meteorology)|inversion]], although seldom cold. The warmest night recorded was {{convert|75|F|C}} on September 22, 1939, and the coldest day at {{convert|40|F|C}} on December 11, 1932.<ref name= NOWData/>

{{Weather box
|location = San Luis Obispo, California ([[California Polytechnic State University|CPSU]]), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1927–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 90
|Feb record high F = 89
|Mar record high F = 92
|Apr record high F = 104
|May record high F = 102
|Jun record high F = 108
|Jul record high F = 111
|Aug record high F = 107
|Sep record high F = 113
|Oct record high F = 109
|Nov record high F = 98
|Dec record high F = 92

|Jan avg record high F = 78.3
|Feb avg record high F = 79.7
|Mar avg record high F = 82.5
|Apr avg record high F = 87.8
|May avg record high F = 89.1
|Jun avg record high F = 91.3
|Jul avg record high F = 90.9
|Aug avg record high F = 93.8
|Sep avg record high F = 97.9
|Oct avg record high F = 96.2
|Nov avg record high F = 86.8
|Dec avg record high F = 76.7
|year avg record high F = 102.0

|Jan high F = 64.9
|Feb high F = 65.2
|Mar high F = 67.3
|Apr high F = 69.3
|May high F = 71.9
|Jun high F = 75.7
|Jul high F = 78.3
|Aug high F = 79.7
|Sep high F = 80.1
|Oct high F = 77.8
|Nov high F = 70.8
|Dec high F = 64.4
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 54.4
|Feb mean F = 54.8
|Mar mean F = 56.7
|Apr mean F = 58.0
|May mean F = 60.6
|Jun mean F = 63.8
|Jul mean F = 66.3
|Aug mean F = 67.3
|Sep mean F = 67.0
|Oct mean F = 64.7
|Nov mean F = 59.1
|Dec mean F = 54.0
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 44.0
|Feb low F = 44.4
|Mar low F = 46.1
|Apr low F = 46.8
|May low F = 49.3
|Jun low F = 51.8
|Jul low F = 54.2
|Aug low F = 54.8
|Sep low F = 53.8
|Oct low F = 51.5
|Nov low F = 47.7
|Dec low F = 43.7
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 33.9
|Feb avg record low F = 34.5
|Mar avg record low F = 36.8
|Apr avg record low F = 38.3
|May avg record low F = 42.0
|Jun avg record low F = 45.3
|Jul avg record low F = 48.6
|Aug avg record low F = 49.5
|Sep avg record low F = 46.4
|Oct avg record low F = 41.6
|Nov avg record low F = 36.4
|Dec avg record low F = 33.2
|year avg record low F =

|Jan record low F = 24
|Feb record low F = 21
|Mar record low F = 28
|Apr record low F = 29
|May record low F = 32
|Jun record low F = 35
|Jul record low F = 36
|Aug record low F = 40
|Sep record low F = 35
|Oct record low F = 30
|Nov record low F = 23
|Dec record low F = 17

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 5.07
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.92
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.89
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.38
|May precipitation inch = 0.51
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.13
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.07
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.01
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.11
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.76
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.98
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.59
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 8.7
|Feb precipitation days = 9.8
|Mar precipitation days = 8.6
|Apr precipitation days = 4.1
|May precipitation days = 2.4
|Jun precipitation days = 0.7
|Jul precipitation days = 0.5
|Aug precipitation days = 0.2
|Sep precipitation days = 0.7
|Oct precipitation days = 3.2
|Nov precipitation days = 4.4
|Dec precipitation days = 8.4

|Jan snow inch = 
|Feb snow inch = 
|Mar snow inch = 
|Apr snow inch = 
|May snow inch = 
|Jun snow inch = 
|Jul snow inch = 
|Aug snow inch = 
|Sep snow inch = 
|Oct snow inch = 
|Nov snow inch = 
|Dec snow inch = 
|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 
|Feb snow days = 
|Mar snow days = 
|Apr snow days = 
|May snow days = 
|Jun snow days = 
|Jul snow days = 
|Aug snow days = 
|Sep snow days = 
|Oct snow days = 
|Nov snow days = 
|Dec snow days =

|Jan snow depth inch = 
|Feb snow depth inch = 
|Mar snow depth inch = 
|Apr snow depth inch = 
|May snow depth inch = 
|Jun snow depth inch = 
|Jul snow depth inch = 
|Aug snow depth inch = 
|Sep snow depth inch = 
|Oct snow depth inch = 
|Nov snow depth inch = 
|Dec snow depth inch = 
|year snow depth inch =

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00047851&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: San Luis Obispo Poly, CA
|access-date = September 2, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=lox
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Los Angeles
|access-date = September 2, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}