Vigorous storm could bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to SLO County. Here’s what’s coming

After a clear and cold morning on Sunday, increasing southerly winds and clouds are forecast on Sunday afternoon and night as a series of low-pressure systems and associated cold fronts from the Gulf of Alaska approaches the Central Coast.

These systems will move through San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties on Monday into Tuesday with moderate gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph with gusts to 55 mph), southerly winds, moderate to heavy rain, and significant mountain snowfall above 4,500 feet.

Between 2 and 4 inches of rain is expected with higher amounts along the coastal mountains. Partly cloudy skies and decreasing winds are forecast on Wednesday.

On Thursday, a colder trailing weather system will bring fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) southerly winds, rain, and mountain snow. Thursday’s storm is expected to produce between 0.25 and 0.75 of an inch of rain.

Moderate to fresh (13 to 24 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds will produce clear and dry skies and cold morning lows from Friday through Saturday.

Another low-pressure system is forecast to produce gusty winds, chilly temperatures, and low elevation snow on Christmas Eve. However, there are no guarantees when predicting that far into the future.

Surf report

A 4- to 6-foot northwesterly (295-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 15-second period) is forecast along our coastline on Sunday afternoon and night.

A 10- to 12-foot northwesterly (290-degree, deep-water) swell (with a 14- to 16-second period) is forecast to arrive along our coastline on Monday, increasing to 12- to 14-feet (with a 14- to 16-second period) on Tuesday. Combined with this northwesterly swell will be 9- to 11-foot southerly (190-degree, shallow-water) seas (with a 4- to 7-second period) on Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning.

An 8- to 10-foot westerly (270-degree, deep-water) swell (with a 12- to 14-second period) is forecast along our coastline on Wednesday, decreasing to 5 to 7 feet (with an 11- to 13-second period) on Thursday.

Seawater temperatures will range between 54 and 56 degrees through Sunday, increasing to 55 to 57 degrees on Monday through Friday.

This week’s temperatures:

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

PG&E storm safety tip

• Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it—and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 9-1-1 and then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

• Secure outdoor furniture: Deck furniture, lightweight yard structures and decorative lawn items should be secured as they can be blown by high winds and damage overhead power lines and property.

• Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.

• Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.

• Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps to keep your cell phone running.

• Have fresh drinking water, ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling. Blue Ice from your picnic cooler also works well in the freezer.

• Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.

• Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 8-1-1 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.

John Lindsey is PG&E’s Diablo Canyon marine meteorologist and a media relations representative. Email him at pgeweather@pge.com or follow him on Twitter @PGE_John.Surf report

This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 9:00 AM.