Worst of storm bears down on SLO County with heavy rain on the way. Here’s what to expect

The worst of this week’s storms was expected to hit San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday with heavy rain, a risk of flooding and even a chance of waterspouts in the ocean.

The National Weather Service predicts the Central Coast could see periods of moderate to heavy rainfall on Wednesday as a vigorous storm band moves through the region.

The rainfall could cause roadway and creek flooding, the Weather Service warned Wednesday morning.

San Luis Obispo County remained under a flood watch through 4 a.m. Friday due to “a high risk of flooding caused by excessive rainfall,” according to the Weather Service.

The entirety of Southern California was under the flood watch as of Wednesday morning.

The Weather Service also issued a special marine warning from Piedras Blancas to Point Sal until 10:45 a.m., alerting to the possibility for waterspouts in the ocean, winds above 34 knots and large waves.

The widespread storm was expected to hit the Central Coast hardest on Wednesday, while the San Diego area can expect the heaviest rainfall on Thursday night.

San Luis Obispo County residents can expect to see about 0.5 to 2 inches of rain fall on Wednesday, although higher amounts may occur in the mountain areas, according to the Weather Service. Another 0.75 inches of rain could fall overnight.

The forecast for Thursday calls for up to 1.5 inches of rain before the wet weather tapers off on Friday.

There’s a chance of thunderstorms as well beginning Wednesday afternoon into Thursday night, the Weather Service predicted.

Saturday should see mostly sunny skies return with dry weather through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The storms this week have already brought nearly 2 inches of rain to the San Luis Obispo and North County areas.

Rocky Butte, a mountain peak northeast of Cambria, has measured nearly a foot of rain since Monday, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department.

This story was originally published December 20, 2023 at 10:13 AM.