A storm system moving through the region on Monday dropped heavy rain across Northern Santa Barbara County while leaving other areas mostly dry.
A Flood Advisory was issued by the National Weather Service shortly after noon for areas including Lompoc, Point Conception, Gaviota, and Buellton.
The advisory, in effect until 3:45 p.m., warned of “potential minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is imminent.”
The heaviest rainfall was concentrated in the western portion of the county, primarily north of Pt. Conception.
The wettest spot in the county was Rancho San Julian southeast of Lompoc, which recorded 4.35 inches of rain during the 24 hours ending at 8 p.m., according to the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department.
During the same period, Lompoc City Hall measured 2.26 inches of rain, the Santa Maria City Public Works Office recorded 2.04 inches, and Guadalupe received 1.02 inches.
Meanwhile, South Coast communities were relatively dry, with Carpinteria recording no precipitation, and other areas receiving just a few hundredths of an inch.
“That front is just sitting there, dropping rain on the same area,” David Sweet, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told Noozhawk.
Forecasters were calling for a 40% chance of rain Monday afternoon, increasing to 60% Monday night. Gradual clearing is expected on Tuesday, with sunny skies through the rest of the week.
Daytime highs should be around 70 on Monday and Tuesday, rising to the upper-70s by the weekend. Overnight lows are expected to be in the mid-50s.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
— Noozhawk staff writer Grace Kitayama can be reached at gkitayama@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
