Generally light rain fell across Santa Barbara County for most of the day on Wednesday, as the first of several storms moved through the region.
Forecasters were calling for more precipitation on Thursday before skies begin clearing for a respite on Friday.
A second storm is due to hit on Saturday, with possibly another on Monday.
Rainfall amounts Wednesday on Santa Barbara County’s South Coast were relatively light: 0.67 inches in both Goleta and Montecito, and 0.46 inches in Santa Barbara as of 10 p.m., according to the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department.
San Marcos Pass received just over an inch of rain, while Santa Maria recorded 0.86 inches. Lompoc and the Santa Ynez Valley measured only trace amounts.
The brunt of the storm hit to the north, in San Luis Obispo County, where several inches of rain were recorded in a number of locations.
Moderate to heavy rainfall was expanding southward into northwest Santa Barbara County Wednesday night, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Flood Advisory for northwestern Santa Barbara County until 11:30 p.m.
Roadway flooding and rock-slide concern areas included Santa Maria, Orcutt and Vandenberg Air Force Base.
“Look for traffic delays and be prepared for power outages,” said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Cloudy skies and wet weather are forecast for the county almost daily until early next week.
“It’s going to be heavy, especially in Central California and the Santa Barbara area, with a widespread, heavier rainfall amounts,” Seto said.
Temperatures fell a couple degrees below normal for the season — in Santa Barbara the average is 63 degrees and Santa Maria at 62 degrees, Seto said.
There is a 70-percent chance of daytime showers on Thursday.
About another half-inch of rain is forecast in some areas through Thursday, Seto said.
Friday calls for partly cloudy skies.
A slight chance of rain is forecast daytime on Saturday and Sunday, Seto said.
Rain is also likely Monday, with a 70-percent chance of daytime showers.
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— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
