Thunder and lightning flash throughout SLO County — but a bigger storm is on its way
Booming thunder and lightning storms woke many San Luis Obispo County residents Wednesday night as the first fringes of a winter storm hit the area.
PG&E meteorologist John Lindsey said most areas around the county saw roughly an inch or more of rain overnight — more than originally expected — but the new storm on its way this Friday and Saturday will be even larger.
“Friday and Saturday is looking to be pretty major,” he said. “It’s one of the most intense storms I’ve ever seen.”
Lindsey noted that the majority of lightning strikes overnight occurred in Cayucos, which isn’t unusual for the beachside community.
Heading into the weekend, Lindsey said an intense cold front will produce fresh gale-force to strong gale-force winds and heavy rain throughout the Central Coast on Saturday morning.
Rain will turn into showers by the afternoon, with a chance of thunderstorms, he said. Total rainfall could range between 2 and 4 inches.
Caltrans announced Thursday evening it will likely close Highway 1 north of Ragged Point between Mud Creek and Paul’s Slide on Friday due to the storm.
The rain is expected to continue through Monday and Tuesday, with a return to dry weather by Wednesday.
But the reprieve won’t be for long, Lindsey said, as another storm system moves into the Central Coast by next weekend.
This story was originally published January 31, 2019 at 5:16 PM.
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