Get ready for not one, but two storm systems bringing some much-needed rain to the Central Coast!
First Storm System (Tuesday-Wednesday)
Our first storm system is rolling in Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing light to moderate rain and gusty winds. The heaviest rain is expected over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, with widespread totals of 0.75 to 1.50 inches and 1.5 to 3.0 inches in the hills and mountains.
Northwest San Luis Obispo County “could” see 4 to 8 inches! This is possible in wind-facing locations and at higher elevations, places like Rocky Butte. It is possible the very NW tip of SLO County could see rain for 24 hours, but again it should stay isolated to that area (the heaviest rain). Some models are more conservative showing .50-1” of rain being more common than the .75-1.50”. That’s not a huge difference, however. Los Angeles and Ventura Counties will see a bit less, with 0.25 to 0.75 inches expected, and up to 2 inches in the hills above Ojai. The flood and debris threat in recent burn areas will be something to watch but seen as more of a possibility than a probability. Most consider the risk as low.
Good News!
This rain is looking like a beneficial event for our region. Snow levels will be high, so no major road impacts are expected. The risk of debris flows in burn scar areas is very low, and flooding should be minor. While winds will be gusty, we're not expecting widespread damage.
Second Storm System (Thursday-Friday)
After a brief break, we'll see another round of rain Thursday afternoon into early Friday. This storm looks to be more uniform across the region, with 0.25 to 1.00 inches expected.
Weekend Outlook
The rain will give us a temporary break from fire weather concerns, but it may not be enough to completely end the fire season. We'll dry out quickly with gusty north to northeast winds developing Friday night through the weekend. This could bring some gusty conditions to the typical wind-prone areas. Temperatures will be cool this weekend, with highs in the 50s.
Looking Ahead
Beyond the weekend, there's a chance for another storm system towards the middle or end of next week.
