More wildflowers bloom at Carrizo Plain after powerful storm drenches SLO County
A fierce storm drenched the Carrizo Plain earlier this week — and wildflowers are blooming in its wake.
The storm dropped about 5 inches of rain on San Luis Obispo County during the past five days, according to the National Weather Service.
That rain supported the growth of flowers in the Caliente Mountain Range, especially on slopes facing Cuyama, which receive more sunlight, Carrizo Plain Conservancy board president Neil Havlik said in a newsletter on Wednesday.
In July, the Madre Fire burned away patches of old thatch grass that usually grows in the Caliente Range. With less grass to compete with, more wildflowers are pushing through the soil in the burn scars, Havlik said.
Yellow hillside daisies bloom in abundance in the Caliente Range, dotted by orange California poppies, purple flowers like phacelia and lupine, tall desert candles and yellow blazing stars, he said in his second update of the wildflower season.
Meanwhile, goldenfields have started blooming on the valley floor of the Carrizo Plain, but not enough to put on a show.
Wildflowers continued to bloom on south- and west-facing slopes of the Temblor Range.
Near Soda Lake, Havlik also spotted a rare bloom: a yellow flower called Jared’s peppergrass. The plant thrives in the salty soils near the lake. He saw the flower growing beside Panorama Road, which crosses through the lowest part of the valley.
As of Wednesday, Panorama Road was too muddy for anyone to drive on safely, and he advised people to stay off of it. In fact, most dirt roads through the Carrizo Plain were impassable after the rainstorm.
With more rain forecast next week, “it might be best to wait until things dry out before getting adventurous on dirt roads,” he said. “It is a very long and expensive wait for a tow truck.”
Luckily, flower fanatics don’t necessarily need to hurry to the Carrizo Plain.
“The rain and lower temperatures will likely slow blooming down or hold them a little longer,” Havlik wrote.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
