Rain drenches SLO County. Here’s how much fell — and what’s next
Following an unseasonably warm few weeks in San Luis Obispo County, rain finally returned on Tuesday — and more is on the way.
Rocky Butte, a location in the mountains northeast of Cambria that often leads the county in rainfall, recorded the highest local total with 1.81 inches.
The San Luis Obispo area received between 0.88 and 1.33 inches, while the South County topped out at around 1.17 inches. The North County ranged between 0.17 inches in Paso Robles and 1.03 inches in Atascadero.
Here’s a look at all the totals from across the county, according to the National Weather Service and San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works:
- Arroyo Grande: 1.17 inches
- Atascadero: 1.03 inches
- Cambria (Santa Rosa at Main): 0.49 inches
- Camp San Luis Obispo: 1.14 inches
- Canet near Morro Bay: 0.58 inches
- Creston: 0.32 inches
- Davis Peak (near Montaña de Oro): 0.67 inches
- Hog Canyon (north of Paso Robles): 0.19 inches
- Highway 46 West: 0.66 inches
- Lopez Dam NWS call this Lake Lopez: 0.84 inches
- Los Berros: 0.75 inches
- Los Osos: 0.89 inches
- Morro Toro: 1.03 inches
- Nipomo East: 0.43 inches
- Nipomo South: 0.39 inches
- Oceano: 0.14 inches
- Pismo Beach: 0.33 inches
- Rocky Butte: 1.81 inches
- Salinas Dam: 1.12 inches
- San Simeon: 0.71 inches
- Santa Margarita: 1.62 inches
- San Luis Obispo (Broad Street and Industrial Way) NWS calls this SLO SCG: 0.88 inches
- San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport: 0.9 inches
- San Luis Obispo at Cal Poly: 1.33 inches
- SLO Reservoir: 1.14 inches
- Shandon: 0.03 inches
- South Portal: 1.69 inches
- Templeton: 0.38 inches
- Upper Lopez: 0.7 inches
- Paso Robles: 0.17 inches
- Carrizo Plain: 0.12 inches
- Branch Mountain (near Carrizo Plain): 0.63 inches
- Bald Mountain (north of Lopez Lake): 0.71 inches
- Shell Peak (Highway 166): 0.04 inches
- Nacimiento River (county line): 1.66 inches
- Las Tablas: 1.53 inches
- La Panza: 0.2 inches
Highway 1 briefly closes overnight
Overnight, Highway 1 was briefly closed by rock slides from Ragged Point Inn to a mile south of Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn in Monterey County, according to a post on X from Caltrans.
However, Caltrans crews were able to start clearing debris from the roadway at first light, reopening the road through the Big Sur Coast by 8:45 a.m., according to another post from Caltrans.
The closure happened less than a month after the agency reopened the highway after previous slides kept it closed for three years.
Public advised to avoid beaches
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department advised the public to avoid contact with ocean water during and at least three days following significant rainstorms such as Tuesday’s storm.
“Rainstorm runoff is known to transport high levels of disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa from the watershed and urban areas to the ocean,” the Public Health Department said in a news release. “Such organisms carried into the ocean can cause skin, respiratory, and intestinal problems.”
Young children, older adults and immunocompromised individuals are particularly vulnerable to these organisms, according to the release.
Swimmers, surfers and beachgoers are advised to avoid contact with ocean water, particularly in areas near creeks, rivers, storm drains and other runoff outlets that empty into the ocean, according to the release.
What’s ahead in SLO County’s forecast
Across San Luis Obispo County, intermittent showers are expected through the rest of Wednesday, followed by brighter weather going into the weekend, according to the Weather Service.
Temperatures in San Luis Obispo are expected to reach 60 degrees on Wednesday and 64 degrees on Thursday before peaking at 69 degrees on Friday.
That story is largely the same in the North and South County, albeit a couple degrees lower overall.
The weekend is expected to bring lower temperature and more cloud cover, with temperatures reaching 62 degrees and rain likely returning on Saturday night into Sunday, kicking off a stretch of several days of wet weather.
The National Weather Service also issued a high surf advisory for the county’s beaches that will be in effect until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Large waves of 8 to 11 feet with dangerous rip currents were expected to hammer the coast, according to the Weather Service’s advisory.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 10:37 AM.
