Hit and miss storm will keep the Central Coast on alert but not likely to get drenched
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The mid-November rain may seem like a left turn from last week's heat, but the first round of late fall moisture will give residents a chance to get the feel of what may be a wet winter.
Forecasters have predicted an El Niño season with water temperatures around the equator sending some indicators that lead to rainy period ahead. In recent years however, many storms have quickly changed in their intensities, in a short notice and that's why pre-rainy months preparations and awareness are important.
Public works officials said the best time to prepare for rain is when it is dry.
Rain fell in Goleta, Santa Barbara and San Marcos Pass around 10 a.m. Overall, the weather system has many breaks in it, and this will not be an even spread over the Central Coast.
One of the first casualties was a boat, docked east of Stearns Wharf breaking free from its anchorage. It ended up on East Beach near the volleyball courts with a deck full of gear and a kayak. The Harbor Patrol was notified, and the owner was sought to respond to this emergency.
One downtown worker, Elliott Lewis at Sharkeez said, "I hit the gym. It was sunny when I went in and I came out and whoa it's raining yea." That impacted his shift at work. "I'm getting cut early because it's not busy enough so I am not going to make any money today."
Just up from the Amtrak station some visitors from Orange County said they saw the changing weather on the way.
Adam Chernoff said, "the rain was dancing on the window of the train there but we knew it was going to happen, it was raining down in Orange County and L.A. It was really nice though."
A spinout during the middle of the day, southbound Highway 101 at Olive Mill left an SUV with a broken front wheel. That jammed up traffic into one lane and caused a significant back up. The corridor through Carpinteria has large scale construction sites underway and one driver said it can be concerning in many areas.
Terry Gosow said, "actually one of the exits where they are trying to rebuild enters on to the freeway so quickly it terrifies me so I actually skip that exit."
By Saturday when skies clear, it is estimated from 1-3 inches of rain could fall. No serious flooding is expected, but with any sustained downpour it could foul up some intersections. Winds may, at times, be much stronger than expected with isolated gusts that can be damaging.
One wind episode brought down the temporary fencing at Leadbetter Beach where a turf project is underway. Crews quickly came back to reinforce the fence and add sandbags.
Creeks are dry and the hills have a great capacity to absorb the rainfall from several storms before there is a concern.
Areas that had fires and no regrowth will be watched for soil movement for the next three to five years.
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