Storm brings rain to SLO County. Here’s how much your area got
A small storm system rolled into San Luis Obispo County on Tuesday evening, bringing some precipitation.
It was the first taste of rain for the county since the large, destructive rainstorm in late January. However, most areas of San Luis Obispo County saw less than one inch of rain over a 24-hour period.
That means the precipitation will likely have little impact on the county’s drought. Most of San Luis Obispo County is in a moderate drought, while the North County areas are seeing less severe, abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Around March 2020, the county was not experiencing any drought conditions.
“Every little bit counts,” PG&E meteorologist John Lindsey said about the recent rainfall. “But with the soil being so dry, there won’t be much runoff because the vegetation is going to soak it all up.”
One San Luis Obispo spot received the most rain in the county over the 24-hour period, with Stenner Springs Open Space getting 1.02 inches of precipitation, according to the San Luis Obispo Public Works Department.
Cal Poly’s weather station measured 0.69 inches of rain.
In the North County, Paso Robles Municipal Airport recorded 0.35 inches of rain and Atascadero saw 0.43 inches of rain by 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to the county Public Works Department.
On the North Coast, Cambria had received 0.59 inches by 1 p.m. Wednesday, while Morro Bay got 0.77 inches and Los Osos saw 0.87 inches.
Arroyo Grande saw just under 1 inch of rain, while Avila Beach got 0.8 inches. Farther to the south, Santa Maria Airport saw 0.51 inches of rain.
According to Lindsey, the storm is forecast to bring another 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches by Friday afternoon. After that point, there is no rain in the long-term forecast, the meteorologist said.
Rainfall totals around SLO County
Can’t see this table? Click here to view it.
And here’s a map of rainfall accumulation across the county:
Can’t see this map? Click here to view it.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 2:50 PM.
