Very warm day with lots of sunshine
Very hot out there today! Santa Barbara hit 90 degrees, currently tied for the previous record high. High pressure will continue to bring very warm and dry conditions to the area through Friday. For the weekend, low pressure will bring cooler temperatures and the return of low clouds and fog. By early next week, a slight warming trend is expected as high pressure develops once again.
At upper levels, ridge will remain in place through Friday then will be flattened on Saturday/Sunday as a trough moves into the West Coast. Near the surface, weak diurnal flow is expected through Friday with a return of moderate to strong onshore flow Saturday/Sunday.
The main issue in the short term will continue to be temperatures. Temperatures Friday are running in the mid 70s to 80s, and inland spots in the 90s. Temperatures Friday are cooler than Thursday because of weak offshore gradients Friday morning and stronger onshore gradients Friday afternoon, will expect some cooler temperatures for the coasts/coastal valleys, but a little warming for interior sections. Overall, all areas will still be well above seasonal normals on Friday. For Saturday and Sunday, the return of onshore flow and the upper level trough will bring noticeably cooler temperatures with highs on Sunday expected to range in the mid 60s to mid 70s for many areas.
Secondary issue for the short term forecast will be winds. Main concern is the potential for continued Sundowner winds across southern Santa Barbara county. Winds will not be as strong or gusty as last night. However for Friday night and Saturday, models are indicating stronger northerly gradients. So, there is a good chance of widespread advisory-level Sundowner winds Friday night and Saturday night.
As for clouds, some patchy stratus and dense fog will be likely along the Central Cosat tonight and Friday morning. Otherwise, there will be partly to mostly cloudy skies on Friday due to passing high clouds. For Saturday and Sunday, the return of onshore flow will bring an increase in coastal stratus and fog for all areas during the night and morning hours.
A ridge building over the area will bring warmer temperatures again as we head into the middle of next week keeping us above average.
