SLO County had an unusually rainy February — but is a dry March on the way?

Thanks to a wetter-than-average February in most Central Coast locations, our region remains above average in rainfall, especially across northern Santa Barbara County.

As of Feb. 27, the Santa Barbara Airport had recorded 22.42 inches of rain, which is roughly 176% of normal. This is down from 225% at the end of January.

The Santa Maria Public Airport measured 13.94 inches, or 213% of normal at this point of the rain season (July 1 through June 30), an increase from 161% in January.

The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport had received 14.82 inches, which is 113% of normal, up from 109% at the end of last month.

Paso Robles recorded 12.61 inches of rain, reaching 143% of normal, up slightly from 140% at January’s end.

Rocky Butte, typically the wettest location along the Central Coast, had recorded 32.98 inches of rain, or 113% of normal, by the end of February.

This is great news, since the first half of March — which is historically one of our wettest periods — is looking dry.

After almost record-breaking high temperatures on Friday and Saturday, mainly produced by gusty Santa Lucia winds, the winds will turn out of the northwest, and temperatures will cool on Sunday, along with the development of low marine low clouds along the coastline during the afternoon and evening.

An upper-level, low-pressure system will move over the Central Coast with partly cloudy skies, but no rain. However, it is expected to produce snow at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Otherwise, a classic metrological spring (March 1 through May 31) weather pattern of gentle to moderate (8 to 18 mph) Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds during the overnight and morning, shifting out of the northwest and increasing to fresh to strong (25 to 31 mph) levels in the afternoon, will continue through the following week.

This pattern will produce primarily clear skies, except for areas of morning fog in the inland valleys and low marine clouds in the coastal regions during the afternoon and evening.

High temperatures will range from the mid-60s at the beaches to the high 60s to low 70s in coastal valleys such as San Luis Obispo and in inland valleys, including Paso Robles, starting on Sunday and continuing through the following Sunday.

Looking ahead, a 1,024-millibar Eastern Pacific High system off the Central Coast is expected to keep San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties dry through the following week.

Daylight saving time starts on March 8, meaning clocks will spring forward an hour at 2 a.m. Each year, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Surf report

This weekend’s 3- to 5-foot northwesterly (285-degree, deep water) sea and swell (with a 5- to 11-second period) will gradually increase to 4 to 6 feet with the same period by Wednesday, further building to 5 to 7 feet on Friday and remaining at this level through the following week.

Seawater temperatures will range between 57 and 59 degrees through Friday.

On this date in weather history

1910: The deadliest avalanche on record in the United States thundered down the mountains near Wellington Station, Washington. The snow swept three huge locomotive train engines and some passenger cars on the grade leading to Stevens Pass into a canyon, burying them. The avalanche claimed the lives of more than 100 people. The station house at Wellington was also swept away. (The Weather Channel)

1983: A ferocious storm battered the Pacific coast. The storm produced heavy rain and gale force winds resulting in flooding and beach erosion. The storm also produced up to 7 feet of snow in five days in the mountains. This El Niño-driven storm destroyed the 2,700-foot-long wooden Unocal Pier in Port San Luis. It was later replaced with a steel-and-concrete structure in 1984, which became the Cal Poly Pier.

2022: The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant reported 20 mph winds with gusts reaching 42 mph at 6:45 a.m. These gusty Santa Lucia winds produced mild-morning temperatures in the coastal valleys and along the beaches. In the afternoon, the Santa Maria Airport hit 85 degrees, breaking the 112-year-old daily record of 84 degrees set back in 1910. The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport hit 86 degrees, besting the old daily record of 83 degrees set in 2002 and again in 2013. Paso Robles reached 81 degrees, 1 degree short of the 82-degree record set back in 2016.

This week’s temperatures

LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

SUNDAY: 47, 70

MONDAY: 43, 67

TUESDAY: 42, 70

WEDNESDAY: 42, 69

THURSDAY: 42, 68

FRIDAY: 43, 70

SATURDAY: 42, 69

SUNDAY: 42, 68

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

SUNDAY: 54, 70

MONDAY: 49, 68

TUESDAY: 49, 72

WEDNESDAY: 50, 72

THURSDAY: 49, 70

FRIDAY: 51, 71

SATURDAY: 50, 70

SUNDAY: 52, 71

John Lindsey is a retired PG&E marine meteorologist. Email him at JohnLindseyLosOsos@gmail.com or follow him on X @PGE_John.