SLO County is on the verge of drought as California weathers a dry winter
A drier-than-average winter has left San Luis Obispo County on the verge of a drought.
About 56% of California is abnormally dry or experiencing moderate drought conditions, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday.
All but the northwestern tip of San Luis Obispo County is abnormally dry, as is the case in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
The Drought Monitor bases the numbers off readings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other federal agencies. The abnormally dry area includes most of the Central Coast, the Sierra Nevada range and the Central Valley, the Sacramento area and most of the Bay Area.
The monitor shows the San Joaquin Valley and southern Sierra Nevada, from Tuolumne and Mariposa counties through Fresno County and extending south through parts of Kern County, are in D1, or “moderate drought,” status.
This marks the first recorded drought-like conditions of the year for California. The drought-ridden stretch makes up just under 10% of the state’s land area.
The monitor estimates a population of more than 1.3 million Californians live in drought areas.
One week earlier, just over 34% of California was abnormally dry, but there were no drought-like conditions mapped anywhere in the state.
As of Tuesday, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport had received 0.34 inches of rain From Jan. 1 to Feb. 11 — just 5% of its usual 7.34 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office.
The Paso Robles Airport had received 0.60 inches of rain — 11% of its typical 5.34 inches.
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center forecast indicates the Central Coast and much of California will likely continue to see precipitation levels that are far below normal for the rest of the month.
In spite of dry winter weather conditions, San Luis Obispo County reservoirs remain in good shape.
As of Thursday, Santa Margarita Lake is 83% full, Lopez Lake is 52% full, Whale Rock Reservoir is 84% full and Lake Nacimiento is 52% full, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department and the city of San Luis Obispo’s Utilities Department.
