More rain, thunderstorms are coming to SLO County. Here’s which areas could see flooding
Several storms are expected to bring rain, high winds, thunderstorms and possible flooding to San Luis Obispo County, according to the National Weather Service.
The strongest storm system will sweep through the county starting Wednesday night into Thursday morning, the weather agency said.
“A series of storms will bring periods of rain, mountain snow, winds and much colder temperatures through much of the week and possibly into the weekend,” the weather service said in a forecast discussion.
Most of SLO County can expect up to 2 inches of rain, though areas at higher elevations could see up to 4 inches of precipitation, according to Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Oxnard office.
“We’re in for a pretty rainy pattern all week here,” Schoenfeld said.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Santa Barbara County’s South Coast, as well as southern Ventura County and a majority of Los Angeles County, that will remain in effect from Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon.
The atmospheric river system will likely skirt most of SLO County, but heavy periods of rain could lead to flooding in coastal areas of the county, Schoenfeld said.
“There’s possibly some local flooding impacts, or if a thunderstorm were to set up over a certain area, that would also cause (flooding),” she said.
Here’s what to know:
What’s in the forecast for SLO?
The San Luis Obispo area was expected to be partly sunny with a 20% chance of rain prior to 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The high temperature will be around 63 degrees with an overnight low temperature of 47 degrees, according to the National Weather Service’s latest seven-day forecast.
Tuesday evening will be mostly cloudy with some wind gusts up to 15 mph.
Rain is likely after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, when there is a 70% chance of precipitation and a high temperature of 58 degrees, the weather service said. Winds could blow up to 35 mph in the afternoon.
The San Luis Obispo area could see a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of new rainfall throughout the day, according to the weather agency.
When could rain fall and thunder boom in SLO County?
There’s a 100% chance of precipitation Wednesday night, along with a possible thunderstorm where “some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall,” the National Weather Service said.
The overnight low will be around 46 degrees with 20 to 30 mph winds blowing from the south.
Rainfall amounts could be between 1 and 2-inches on Wednesday, according to the forecast.
Which areas are at risk of flooding?
Parts of SLO County could be susceptible to flooding during this period, Schoenfeld said.
“Coastal roads” and “lower lying intersections” with poor drainage are at the highest risk of flooding following downpours, she said.
How long will wet weather last?
On Thursday, showers and a possible thunderstorm are likely before 11 a.m., the weather service said. In the afternoon, there is a 70% chance of rain with wind gusts reaching up to 25 mph. The high temperature will be around 56 degrees.
If caught in a thunderstorm, Schoenfeld advised residents to take shelter inside and stay away from windows.
“Your car in a thunderstorm is also not a bad place to be — much better than outside,” she said. “(The) general advice is not to go under a tree because of the lightning strike potential.”
The SLO area could get up to a quarter-inch of rain on Thursday, though thunderstorms could bring stronger showers in some parts of the county, the weather service said.
In the evening, it will be partly cloudy with an overnight low of 40 degrees.
There is an 80% of rain before 11 a.m. Friday and the high is expected to be around 55 degrees, according to the forecast.
Friday evening could see a chance of showers before 11 p.m., followed by cloudy conditions and a low of 44.
On Saturday, sunshine will return with mostly cloud-free conditions and a high of 63. The overnight low will be around 45, the weather service said.
There will be a slight chance of precipitation on Sunday, but otherwise the weather will be partly sunny with a high of 65.
According to the forecast, SLO will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain Sunday evening. The low will be around 47.
How much rainfall will Paso Robles get?
According to the weather service’s latest forecast, Paso Robles was expected to be partly sunny with wind gusts up to 15 mph on Tuesday, with a high temperature near 64 degrees and a low temperature around 43 degrees.
Rain will descend on the Paso Robles area after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the weather service said.
Wind gusts could gust as high as 45 mph, while new rainfall totals could amount to a quarter-inch during the day, the weather service said.
On Wednesday evening, there will be a 100% chance of rain and “possibly a thunderstorm,” according to the National Weather Service. The low will be around 40 degrees with winds up to 35 mph.
“New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch (are) possible,” the forecast said.
According to the weather agency, Paso Roles could see a 50% chance of precipitation and thunderstorms on Thursday, along with a high of 55 degrees.
Less then a 10th-inch of rain is expected to fall, though higher amounts are possible as thunderstorms sweep over the area, the weather service said.
Thursday evening will be party cloudy with an overnight low of 34.
There is a 70% chance of showers after 11 a.m. Friday, the forecast said. The high will be near 54 with mostly cloudy conditions.
More precipitation is possible before 11 p.m. Friday, followed by continued cloud cover and a low of 38, according to the weather agency.
Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high around 62 and an overnight low of 39, the forecast said.
On Sunday, there is a slight chance of rain in the morning followed by partly sunny conditions and a daytime high around 65.
That evening, it will be mostly cloudy with a chance of precipitation and a low temperature of 42, according to the National Weather Service.
Are thunderstorms normal in March?
The rainy season in San Luis Obispo County generally runs from December through March, according to Schoenfeld.
“This is a pretty normal time to get some storm system like this winter storm with a little bit of an atmospheric river component,” she said.
Most of California can expect below-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation from March 18 through March 24, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 10:54 AM.
