Check out the snow-capped mountains at the Carrizo Plain National Monument
The mountains surrounding the Carrizo Plain National Monument got a dusting of snow during the storm that hit San Luis Obispo County on Monday and Tuesday.
And the cold temperatures were helping it stick around for a bit — the Temblor and Caliente mountain ranges were still snow-capped as of Wednesday afternoon.
Snow isn’t entirely unusual for the mountains surrounding the Carrizo Plain in southeastern San Luis Obispo County. The ranges also received snow in March.
Peaks in the Temblor range, which stretch along the eastern edge of the national monument, average about 3,500 feet. The highest peak in the range is McKittrick Summit at 4,331 feet located straight east of Soda Lake.
The Caliente range is a bit taller on average than the Temblor range. Caliente Mountain, located in the southwestern corner of the national monument in the Caliente Mountain wilderness study area, towers at 5,106 feet and is the highest point in San Luis Obispo County.
The storm mostly brought rain to San Luis Obispo County — some areas received more than 7 inches. But colder temperatures created the right conditions for snow to fall in the higher elevations.
PG&E cameras also show snow on Black Mountain, a 3,622-foot peak in the Santa Lucia Range southeast of Atascadero.
The Carrizo Plain National Monument area will likely see more rain — and perhaps some more snow on the mountains — Wednesday night and into Thursday.
The rest of the week going into the weekend is predicted to be clear and sunny, though next week brings more possibility of rain for the area.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 12:28 PM.
