Hilary has arrived, weather forecast for Aug 20th

Effects of Hilary continue to be felt through most of Southern and Central California. As expected, most of the serious weather continues to be just east and south of Ventura County. This means we need to be extra vigilant for tonight and in to early Monday as even just a slight drift toward the west could bring very heavy weather to areas that for now, have avoided the worst of Hilary. Tropical Storm Warnings remain for much of Ventura County with Flood Watches extending from the mountains of Santa Barbara County and southeast through Ventura County. Typically, wind issues are strongest for the northeast side of the storm and that means well away from our region. We still could see some mountain gusts from Hilary but there are no wind advisories posted. Much of the Central Coast, from Point Conception and west and north, will likely see very little effects from Hilary other than light showers.

Tropical Storms and or Hurricanes are always challenging to keep ahead of as there are usually several atmospheric variables contributing to where these systems end up. Even though Hilary has seen wind speeds well above a hundred miles per hour, our cool ocean temps have weakened the storm as it has entered Southern California. Large air pressure systems to our west and east are funneling the storm right up in to the region. A slight turn west or east could end up changing our forecast noticeably. With all that said, for now it looks like the bulk of this unusual storm will be just to our east and south. Multiple inches of rain, strong winds and even thunderstorms producing tornadoes are possible for many areas just to our south and east. This means we need to keep a close just in case our front row seat becomes center stage. Rain and wind will be possible all Sunday evening with the biggest threats coming late and then in to very early Monday. Scattered showers could linger through the day and pop up thunderstorms will be a possibility as well. By Tuesday and toward the middle of the work week, we will see a return of normal seasonal weather.