Temperatures drop rapidly Friday, cool and cloudy weekend ahead

The South Coast and Ventura County is waking up to dense fog Friday morning, causing low visibility on the roads for commuters. A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect until 9am for those areas, make sure to utilize low beams, drive slowly, and leave earlier than usual to ensure your safety on the roads.

The warm, above average temperatures we enjoyed yesterday will chance rapidly Friday. Temperatures are 5-10 degrees cooler today, which is closer to near normal numbers for this time of year. Offshore winds weakened and the ridge of high pressure is moving East. There are a series of low pressure systems moving down the coast of California, but will fizzle before it reaches the Central Coast. Our neighbors up in the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest are getting the brunt of the rain. The Central Coast is just cooling down as a result and cloud cover is increasing over the weekend.

There is a chance of rain on Tuesday, which happens to be Christmas Eve. Models are favoring rain for communities north of Point Conception, meaning San Luis Obispo County and North Santa Barbara County will likely get the most rain. As the storm moves farther down, it will lose power and bring less rain to the South Coast and Ventura County. The good news is that the storm system is fast moving, which means Christmas Day will be cool, but mostly dry.

We're keeping a close eye on the size of the waves as we head into the weekend as well, with a strong swell beginning Saturday. Waves between 15-20 feet are expected for the Central Coast, 10-15 for Ventura County, and 7-10 feet for Santa Barbara County. It is best to avoid the water for the time being to ensure your safety.