Crashes on Cuesta Grade reported as day 2 of atmospheric river storm soaks SLO County
As they say, when it rains, it pours — and it sure is pouring in San Luis Obispo County.
A new flash of rainfall Tuesday morning caused multiple car crashes that backed up traffic in areas throughout the county.
As the atmospheric river continues to beat down across the state, SLO County has seen its heaviest rain yet in the last two days.
Within the past 48 hours, a whopping 4.73 inches rained down on Rocky Butte, with Santa Margarita coming in second at a total of 2.38 inches and the Lake Lopez area seeing a comparable 2.3 inches, according to the National Weather Service rain totals.
Pismo Beach saw a similarly high amount of rain at 2.18 inches the last two days, while other SLO County cities like Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo and Cambria ranged from 1.5 to 1.8 inches of rain accumulated.
Some localized flooding impacts may have occurred overnight in the South County, where moderate to heavy rain rates of 0.2 to 0.4 inches per hour were observed, according to the Weather Service’s forecast.
Going forward, rates diminished with only a minimal risk for minor flooding along the Central Coast on Tuesday.
On-and-off showers are expected to continue into Tuesday night across the region.
Temperatures will be below normal through Thanksgiving, but generally warming each day.
SLO County Public Works closes rural road
The San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department closed the gates to Hi Mountain Road at Huasna and Pozo roads for the winter season, the agency said on X.
The closure, which was coordinated with the United States Forest Service, takes place annually when seasonal rains can affect road conditions.
“Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown!” the agency wrote in the post.
2 car crashes back up traffic on the Cuesta Grade, more throughout county
A vehicle hydroplaned on Highway 101 at the base of Cuesta Grade on Tuesday morning, crashing first into the center divider and then into the hill on the right hand side of the highway’s southbound lanes, according to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page.
The crash occurred at 7:38 a.m. near Old Stagecoach Road on southbound Highway 101, according to the traffic information page.
A person was briefly trapped inside the vehicle but was freed and ultimately reported uninjured, according to the traffic information page.
Shortly after and a little further up the Grade, a truck with an attached trailer also heading south jackknifed on the highway and the trailer overturned.
Both crashes caused traffic delays on southbound Highway 101 on the Cuesta Grade.
Also on Tuesday morning, another car crash occurred on northbound Highway 101 near the Las Tablas off-ramp in Templeton, and a car drove off of Highway 58 and landed in a field, but neither incident seems to be severely impacting traffic.
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When will the rain end?
The showers will continue in San Luis Obispo County on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast.
The forecast said the “weak atmospheric river” remained focused on the Central Coast, where showers persisted throughout Monday night.
Showers are expected to migrate south this morning, reaching Los Angeles County around midday and lasting through the evening.
The agency said there is “only a slight chance” of showers that will linger into Wednesday morning, followed by clearing skies during the day and warmer temperatures around 5 degrees below normal.
There is a 5 to 15% chance of lightning and thunderstorms over coastal waters on the Central Coast early Wednesday morning, but little concern of thunderstorms elsewhere.
For Thanksgiving, expect sunshine. Dry conditions and temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s are expected across the coast and valleys, the agency said.
No more rain through at least early next week is the most likely forecast, the agency said, adding that the long-term forecast expects to be a period of dry and warmer weather.
This story was originally published November 26, 2024 at 9:28 AM.
