Winter storm drenches SLO County. See how much rain fell so far
San Luis Obispo County received several inches on rain Christmas Eve as a major atmospheric-river storm drenched most of California.
One local city even recorded more than 3 inches as of Wednesday afternoon — with more still on the way.
County locations received anywhere from a low of 0.83 inches to more than 3 inches of rain in the 24-hour period ending at 5 p.m., according to the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works.
Rocky Butte, a location in the mountains northeast of Cambria that often leads the county in rainfall, for once did not lead the way with only 2.84 inches in that period.
Instead, Camp San Luis was the rainfall winner, recording 3.19 inches during the 24-hour period.
The San Luis Obispo area received between 1.79 and 3 inches, while the South County topped out at around 2.4 inches in the Lopez Lake area. North County ranged between 1.36 inched at the Monterey County line and 2.94 inches in Santa Margarita.
Here’s a look at all the totals from across the county, according to SLO County Public Works and the National Weather Service:
- Arroyo Grande: 1.32 inches
- Atascadero: 2.25 inches
- Cambria (Santa Rosa at Main): 0.83 inches
- Camp San Luis Obispo: 3.19 inches
- Canet near Morro Bay: 2.42 inches
- Creston: 2.02 inches
- Davis Peak (near Montaña de Oro): 1.81 inches
- Hog Canyon (north of Paso Robles): 1.36 inches
- Highway 46 West: 1.15 inches
- Lopez Dam: 2.39 inches
- Los Berros: 1.81 inches
- Los Osos: 1.07 inches
- Morro Toro (Highway 41): 2.64 inches
- Nipomo East: 1.67 inches
- Nipomo South: 1.4 inches
- Oceano: 1.02 inches
- Rocky Butte: 2.84 inches
- Salinas Dam: 2.68 inches
- San Simeon: 0.71 inches
- Santa Margarita: 2.94 inches
- San Luis Obispo (Broad Street and Industrial Way): 1.79 inches
- SLO Reservoir: 2.44 inches
- Shandon: 1.63 inches
- South Portal (Cuesta Grade): 3.05 inches
- Templeton: 1.61 inches
- Upper Lopez NWS: 1.97 inches
What’s ahead in SLO County’s forecast
Wednesday’s totals were just the beginning, as stormy weather is expected to last through the rest of the week.
According to meteorologist John Lindsey, an “intense 981-millibar storm” is expected to push unsettled weather across the Central Coast on Christmas morning, followed by a cold front on Friday.
The Christmas morning storm will bring winds of 32 to 46 mph, with potential gusts of up to 65 mph, heavy rain and “a chance of thunderstorms,” Lindsey wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
Slightly weaker winds will prevail Friday — between 25 and 38 mph — as well as moderate rain into Saturday, he said. That means another 1.5 to 3 inches of rain could fall across the county through Saturday morning, Lindsey said.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures throughout SLO County are expected to stay largely in the 50s through the rest of the week.
Paso Robles will see a high of 55 degrees Thursday, before falling to a high of 53 Friday and Saturday. Lows in the city will go from 51 degrees Wednesday night to 37 degrees on Saturday night.
San Luis Obispo is expected to hit a high of 59 degrees Thursday, followed by 57 degrees on Friday and Saturday. Overnight lows will range from 54 degrees Wednesday to 45 degrees Saturday.
In Morro Bay, temperatures could hit as high as 61 degrees Thursday, before falling to 57 degrees by Saturday. Lows will range from 55 degrees Wednesday night to 45 degrees Saturday night.
Finally in the South County, Nipomo will see near stagnant daytime temperatures with a high of 60 degrees Thursday, followed by 59 degrees Friday and Saturday. Lows for the town will range from 54 degrees Wednesday night to 42 degrees Saturday