Powerful winds and waves on deck for the first weekend of 2024
Friday was the nicest day of the week, with slightly warmer temperatures and sunny skies, but changes are in the forecast for the first weekend of 2024. A system is going to move through the region late Saturday night into Sunday, bringing very light showers to the region. However, the main impacts will be the potentially damaging gusty winds and cooler temperatures it will leave behind.
Several Wind Alerts have been issued ahead of the powerful northerly winds on deck. A Wind Advisory will be in effect from 7pm Saturday until 7pm Sunday for most of the Ventura County Beaches and the Inland Coast, along with most of the Central Coast, including the Santa Ynez Valley. Wind speeds will be between 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph expected in those areas.
A High Wind Watch will also be in effect from 7pm Saturday until 7pm Sunday for Central and Southeastern Ventura County Valleys, with gusts up to 60 mph expected. A High Wind Warning will be in effect from 7pm Saturday until 7pm Sunday for Santa Barbara County's Southwestern Coast, the Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Mountains, where the most powerful winds are expected. Wind speeds will be between 30-40 mph, with gusts between 60-70 mph possible, along with isolated gusts up to 80 mph. These powerful winds can cause downed power lines, trees or tree branches, and other debris on roadways. Take extra precaution on the roads over the weekend.
Additionally, the High Surf Advisory remains in place for Central Coast Beaches until 9am Monday morning and has been reinstated for Ventura County Beaches. It will be in place from 2am Saturday until 6am Monday morning.
The start of next week looks clear and cool, with winds set to taper by Monday and all the Wind Alerts set to expire. There is another chance of light rainfall from another cold front the end of next week, but we will have better details on that system next week.
