Temperatures will leap up on Friday
Conditions are drying out, but the weather isn't totally calm. Gusty northerly winds are following in the wake of the upper low. There is a wind advisory on the South Coast, in the Santa Ynez Range, and in the Santa Barbara County interior mountains from 4:00 pm Thursday until 3:00 am Friday. Sustained winds will be 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.
Our high surf advisory is also hanging on until 8:00 am Friday. Breaking waves will be 8 to 12 feet on the Central Coast, and 4 to 8 feet south of Point Conception. Rip currents will be strong. There is a chance of minor tidal overflow during high tide between 6:00 to 9:00 am on Friday.
The winter weather advisory has been extended until 8:00 pm Thursday in the northern Ventura County mountains only. There may be lingering snow showers above 6,000 feet with up to 2 additional inches of snow. Wind gusts could reach up to 40 mph.
Our winds will turn more northeasterly on Friday, making for a weak Santa Ana event and clearer skies. Combined with a ridge of high pressure, it's a recipe for much warmer temperatures! Many areas will leap into the upper 60s or low 70s, though the morning will still be chilly in the 30s to 40s.
The ridge will start to flatten out Saturday and the marine layer may start to creep back in. As the day goes, more mid-level clouds will also start to move over the region. Temperatures will cool just slightly. With onshore flow to the west, the Central Coast will be back to its marine layer pattern by Sunday. There will also be troughs moving to the north, which will bring a lot of extra cloud cover in.
Conditions and temperatures will stagnate through at least Tuesday. Another ridge will arrive on Wednesday off the California Coast, setting up warmer temperatures and gusty northerly winds.
