Thursday evening forecast August 26
Temperatures will remain above average through the weekend, with night to morning cloud cover likely limited to areas north of Point Conception. This will bring daytime highs near coastal areas in the 70s to 80s, while interior valleys warm in the 90s to low 100s. Temperatures will gradually cool back down next week and likely drop below average.
A weak sundowner wind event is expected across southern Santa Barbara County tonight. Gusty conditions will mainly impact wind prone areas such as Gaviota and Refugio, with gusts up to 40 mph. Pressure gradients will weaken into Friday, with calmer winds across.
Onshore flow will strengthen slight into Friday and Saturday, allowing the marine layer to become more widespread along coastal areas. Despite this change temperatures will likely remain warm and above average by 4 to 8 degrees through the weekend.
As the ridge of high pressure weakens into early next week, onshore flow will strengthen. This pattern will bring in a deeper marine layer, with clouds extending further and leading to a cool down. Interior areas can expect better relief by the middle of next week as highs drop below average. By then daytime highs near coast will reach the 60s to 70s, while valleys warm in the 80s to low 90s.
