Paso Robles gets 1.53 inches of rain Thursday night
Falling branches littered the ground throughout the county after last night’s storm. Photo by Heather Young
Two more storms expected to hit next week
As promised, a windy and rainy storm hit the Central Coast, knocking out power in some areas — San Luis Obispo County being one of the heaviest high areas for power outages Thursday night — and dumping piles of rain on thirsty area.
Pacific, Gas & Electric Meteorologist John Lindsey said that winds exceeds 50 mph at Diablo Canyon in Avila Beach, and the waves peaked at 16 feet Thursday night. He said the storm came from the gulf of Alaska and said that the ocean was very chaotic last night. The predicted cold front hit the area Thursday afternoon and passed the area by 10 p.m. Thursday. The temperature then plummeted in the hour after the cold front passed, Lindsey said it was because cold air was following behind it.
This weekend, Lindsey said, should be pretty nice. “Mostly clear and partly cloudy and dry, especially for Saturday and Sunday,” he said.
Thursday’s storm brought 1.53 inches of rain to add to the 1.99 that Paso Robles already had, giving it a total of 3.52 inches as measured at the Paso Robles Airport. At the city’s waste yard at 1230 Paso Robles St., the rain fall for Thursday was recorded at 2.3 for a total of 4.17 inches for the first 11 days of December.
Before the rain on Thursday, for the rain season — which is July 1 through June 30, 2015 — Paso Robles had received a total of 2.89 inches, according to the gauge on Paso Robles Street. For the rest of the rain for this season, one inch came in November and .03 inches in July. In the 2013-14 rain season, Paso Robles got a total of 6.13 inches, the majority — 2.75 inches — falling in February. The 2012-13 season had a total of 7.18 inches; the most — 3.94 — falling in December.
Lindsey that Paso Robles’ averages two inches a year, that is, looking at the gauge at Paso Robles Airport. He said that while the weekend will be dry and clear, the next storm system is expected to hit the area on Monday and Tuesday, followed by another that weekend.
“The storm door is open,” Lindsey said.
One major after effect of the storm, Caltrans spokesman Colin Jones said, is that Highway 1 from Ragged Point to Coast Gallery in Monterey County is closed due to multiple rock and mud slides. Crews are on site assessing the damage and beginning cleanup. There is no estimated time of opening.
As storms are expected to hit the area in the next week, PG&E local emergency response personnel warn residents to not get near any down power lines, instead call 911 immediately.
