Atmospheric river storms headed to San Luis Obispo County

January 31, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Atmospheric river storms are expected to bring strong winds, high surf and soaking rains to San Luis Obispo County, which could result in flooding, mud slides and downed trees. Rain of a half an inch in the interior and up to 4 inches in the coastal areas are in the forecast.

The first storm is forecast to arrive on the Central Coast Wednesday afternoon with heavy rains in the evening.

The storms are expected to bring strong winds of 20 to 30 mph, with wind gusts of up to 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service. SLO County is under a wind advisory until Thursday at 7 a.m.

“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” according to the National Weather Service. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”

Forecasters warn of large breaking waves of 7 to 10 feet on Wednesday, 14 to 18 feet on Thursday and Friday, and 8 to 12 feet on Saturday.

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