Tracking extreme Santa Ana winds Monday night through Wednesday morning
Onshore flow returns Monday, bringing the marine layer in the morning and slightly cooler temperatures. Highs rise into the 60s and 70s and skies turn mostly sunny by midday. A strong Santa Ana wind event will occur Monday night through Wednesday morning. This was deemed as a Particularly Dangerous Event by the National Weather Service. This event will mirror the winds that caused the mountain fire in November as gusts near 70mph and relative humidity values plummet. Fire safety today through Wednesday will be imperative. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for inland SLO and Santa Barbara Counties, including most of Ventura County starting 10pm Monday night through 2pm Tuesday evening. Strong and damaging Santa Ana winds could cause power outages and downed trees. If a fire does spark, it will spread rapidly and in a similar fashion to the mountain fire. A High Wind Warning is in effect for Ventura County where models show sustained winds near 30-40mph. Make sure patio furniture and decorations are moved inside and avoid leaving valuable items out.
Main fire concerns arise Tuesday. This will be the strongest day of winds and the driest conditions. Expect to see Power Safety Shutoff events to mitigate the fire risk. We may have some cloud coverage in the morning and similar clearing to Monday. When the sun does make an appearance, it will drop humidity values into the single digits. Temperatures will warm into the 60s and 70s, and fire fuels are very dry. Sustained winds of 30-40mph could be damaging and marine conditions will be hazardous. Avoid boating as waves will be 3-6ft and coastal flooding possible for east facing harbors. Winds will could be strong enough to close small airports.
The Santa An wind event will be over by Wednesday. Winds die down and return to onshore by the evening. Temperatures remain in the 60s and 70s, still well above average and we will see the marine layer for a few hours each morning. Skies turn mostly sunny by the evening and we fall back into a stagnant weather pattern until the weekend. A cold front passes through the area bringing unstable air with it and the chance for rain.
