Heat wave continues with added fire danger
Strong high pressure along with light offshore flow will result in very hot temperatures in most areas through the end of the week. Very hot conditions will continue Thursday with highs up to 110 in the valleys and 100 for coastal areas. Temperatures will begin to cool slightly by Friday but will remain well above normal through the weekend.
Hot and dry through Thursday with elevated to brief critical fire weather for many inland valleys and mountains. Very hot this afternoon with many highs in the valleys well over 100 degrees and near record territory in many areas. Coasts have been a struggle between the seabreeze and weak offshore flow with temperatures jumping 10 degrees at a time depending on wind direction.
A heat advisory is in effect for all local cities through 8PM Friday with an excessive heat warning for the Ventura County valleys through Thursday night.
The hot dry and windy conditions have prompted a red flag warning for the Santa Barbara South Coast for Wednesday night through 9AM Thursday. Sundowners will bring higher winds to the Santa Ynez range with gusts 35-40 mph in a few locations possible. Many of the hills above Santa Barbara will remain in the 90s overnight with humidities remaining in the teens and a high risk of wildfires.
There will be spotty dense fog along the Central Coast again tonight, but otherwise the marine layer remains non-existent over land areas. Thursday night will remain very warm, but with weaker winds there should be some resemblance of radiational cooling with the longer nights. Friday will be about 7-10 degrees cooler than Thursday, but the heat advisory will remain in effect due to the strength of the high pressure system remaining over the west coast. Coastal areas will see the most relief on Friday except for just a couple of miles inland where highs will still reach into the lower 90s.
There will be a better onshore seabreeze for coastal areas, but not expecting much in the way of an organized marine layer impact yet. Sill much above normal temperatures on Saturday.
Expecting a return to normal weather conditions Sunday into Monday as a low pressure trough moves into the area. This will bring coooler temperatures, and more cloud cover decreasing the fire weather threat.
