We could get some light rain today around the Central Coast, but overall it’s been an unusually dry rainy season.
Public works data shows that, depending on the location, San Luis Obispo County has received just 12% to 26% of its average seasonal rainfall at this point in the year.
Meanwhile, the latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor said all of Santa Barbara County and the southern portion of SLO County are “abnormally dry.”
After two years of above-average rainfall, water supplies on the Central Coast are generally in good shape. However, National Weather Service Meteorologist Ryan Kittell said the persistent dryness raises fire risks; rains that would normally dampen vegetation haven’t arrived.
“A lot of the plants are still very dry, so just be careful with anything that might start a fire— fireworks, campfires,” Kittell said.
Kittell said we are going through a La Niña weather event. That’s when the Pacific Ocean cools, altering typical rain patterns. This year, it has shifted rain away from the Central Coast and toward the Pacific Northwest, according to NOAA.
According to Kittell, there are no significant storms on the immediate horizon for the Central Coast.
