Gusty winds and elevated fire danger
The gusty winds will be the headliner this weekend for most of the region, with several Wind Alerts in effect. Winds will shift direction Saturday, with a moderate to significant Santa Ana wind event in the forecast for Ventura County. A High Wind Warning will be in effect from 3am until 3pm Saturday for Ventura County Beaches and the Inland Coast. Wind speeds between 25-40 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph expected.
A Wind Advisory is in effect 3am Saturday for the Santa Lucia Mountains and San Luis Obispo County Mountains. Wind speeds will be between 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph expected. Additionally, for the Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range and the Santa Barbara Interior Mountains, with isolated gusts up to 60 mph for the Montecito Hills. It will be in effect until 3pm Saturday for the Southern and Northern Ventura County Mountains, with gusts up to 55 mph.
The combination of gusty winds and low relative humidity means elevated fire danger for the region. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning that will be in effect until 6am Saturday morning. This is for the Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains and the Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range, where single digit humidity and gusty winds are expected overnight into Saturday. A Fire Weather Watch will be in effect from 10am Saturday morning until 12pm Sunday for most of Ventura County. These conditions would cause a fire to rapidly spread if one were to be ignited, even though it will not be warm.
Temperatures will slightly warm over the weekend, with a ridge of high pressure building and offshore winds picking up. The forecast for next week looks consistent, with very little day-to-day changes expected.
