Most areas of Santa Barbara County got a heavy dousing from an atmospheric-river storm that hit the region Tuesday overnight into Wednesday, but no major flooding or related problems have been reported.
The strongest part of the storm appeared to have begun moving east as of 10 a.m., but more rainfall, sometime heavy, is expected over the next three days.
A Flash Flood Warning for the county’s South Coast expired at noon on Wednesday.
Gibraltar Reservoir on the Santa Ynez River was the county’s wettest spot, recording 8.29 inches of rain in the 48 hours ending at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the county Public Works Department.
Other notable measurements included 8.22 inches on San Marcos Pass; 7.71 inches at Alisal Reservoir near Solvang in the Santa Ynez Valley; 7.37 inches at the KTYD transmitter site on Gibraltar Road above Montecito; and 7.34 inches at the top of Tecolote Canyon at the western edge of Goleta.
Cuyama in the northeast part of the county was the driest spot with 2.39 inches.
Other rainfall totals included Buellton, 4.67 inches; Carpinteria, 3.64 inches; Cold Springs debris basin, 5.20 inches; Goleta, 5.28 inches; Montecito, 3.69 inches; Orcutt, 1.98 inches; Santa Barbara, 4.67 inches; and Solvang, 4.81 inches.
Public agencies reported localized street flooding, trees and power lines blown down by gusty winds, and some relatively minor vehicle crashes.
Flooding shut down a portion of Calle Cesar Chavez near the Santa Barbara waterfront, as well as Old Coast Highway between Park Place and Hot Springs Road in Montecito.
In the North County, Highway 1 was closed between Black and Solomon roads, and Rosemary Road was shut down between Betteravia and Stowell roads.
Between 7:45 and 8:15 p.m., as a potent line of showers moved through, Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to nine storm-related calls for service in Goleta and Isla Vista for flooding and fire alarms, said fire Capt. Scott Safechuck.
He added that no major damage was reported.
Both Jameson Reservoir and Gibraltar Reservoir — upstream from Lake Cachuma on the Santa Ynez River — are at capacity after the latest rains.
That means any additional runoff into those impoundments will flow into Cachuma, which was at 78% of capacity and about 12 feet below spill level as of Wednesday afternoon.
Wet weather is expected to continue through the Christmas holiday on Thursday and into the weekend.
Forecasters were calling for three-quarters to one inch of rain on the South Coast Wednesday, with another half to three-quarters of an inch possible overnight, and three-quarters to one inch possible Christmas Day and again Thursday night.
Rainfall should slowly taper off on Friday, with sunny skies returning on Saturday.
Roughly half that amount of rain is expected in most North County communities.
“This afternoon through Thursday morning, there will be more of a showery period,” Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told Noozhawk.
“Then Thursday afternoon overnight into Friday morning there will be another round of pretty decent rainfall.”
Drier conditions are forecast through next week, with another chance of precipitation on New Year’s Eve, Sirard said.
Daytime highs should be in the high-50s and low-60s, with overnight lows in the upper-40s.
A High Wind Warning will remain in effect until 3 p.m. Thursday, and a Flood Watch will remain in effect until 4 p.m. Friday.
A High Surf Advisory, calling for waves of 6-9 feet with dangerous rip currents, will be in effect until 11 a.m. Saturday.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
Click here for real-time rainfall totals from around the county.
