Santa Barbara Cold, Winds Put Damper on Night Out

Road closures went up along Brenner Drive when a free fell early Tuesday evening.

Neighbors said it was sad to see what appeared to be an old Fig tree fall.

City crews arrived in the rain to move it out of the roadway. They said they would be back to cut it into pieces on Wednesday.

The cold wet weather caught some neighbors of guard.

Steve York called described it as cold and raw weather, but he admitted it’s much colder in New York where his brother lives.

The cold snap caught volunteers who run homeless warming shelters in southern Santa Barbara County off guard. They opened shelters in the North County, but didn’t plan on opening them in and around Santa Barbara until Wednesday night.

One young man with camping gear on his back was sorry to find Trinity Church on State Street closed. He said a friend had told him about the shelter.

A few homeless people found shelter in an alcove at the church.

The shelter there will open at 6 p.m. Wednesday.