Orcutt and all of Santa Barbara County saw one of the wettest starts to a Water Year (WY) on record. The Water Year runs from September 1 through August 31. By early January 2026, 11.2 inches of rain has been recorded at the Orcutt weather station on Foster Road, according to Matthew Scrudato, Senior Hydrologist with the Santa Barbara County Water Agency.

During the first three months of the Water Year, the county received 460 percent of its normal rainfall. It is currently 327% of the yearly average for this date.  Since records began in 1906, Orcutt has averaged 13.31 inches of rain per season. Only 4 and a half months into the season, Orcutt is just 2 inches shy of its annual average.

           Most of the area’s rainfall typically falls between January and March. Scrudato says this year has surpassed Water Year 1983 as the wettest start on record. The wettest full year for Orcutt was 1991, when 32.61 inches of rain were recorded.

Scrudato says the impact of El Niño and La Niña on local rainfall is difficult to predict. He notes that forecasts calling for wet years can turn dry, and dry forecasts can turn wet. He also says water use has declined over the past 25 years due to conservation and improved technology.

            Runoff from recent storms is helping recharge the groundwater basin. Scrudato says groundwater conditions have noticeably improved since the current wet cycle began in WY  2023.

Steve Southwick reporting