Weather whiplash this week: Santa Ana winds Tuesday, rain over the weekend
Wind reports show gusts near 88mph in high elevations yesterday, Santa Ana winds hold strong Tuesday morning. Expect to run into issues on the road as objects and palm fronds could easily be picked up and thrown into major highways. The Particularly Dangerous Situation lasts through noon Tuesday before winds begin to switch to northwest overnight. The Red Flag Warning lasts through noon for Ventura County but will likely be extended as out next round of winds crank up Thursday. Fire weather concerns will be at the forefront of our minds as humidity values have already plummeted and this will be one of the driest systems yet. Fires could spark and spread quickly, with extreme fire behavior. Stay safe when leaving the door and make sure to have go bags packed and be ready to leave at a moments notice. A Freeze Warning goes into effect for portions of the Central Coast starting at 10pm Tuesday night through 9am Wednesday morning. Protect people, pets and plants as temps could fall into the upper 20s.
Bundle up and grab a warm cup of coffee as you leave Wednesday morning! Have the car warmer on for your morning commute but make sure to switch it to air conditioning by the evening as temperatures rise quickly. Highs warm into the upper 60s and low 70s and it will be one of the warmest days of the week. Winds return back to Santa Anas by the evening and offshore push will drop humidity levels yet again. fire Weather Watches are already in place but may be upgraded to Red Flag Warnings. Skies stay clear and winds may be breezy but not up to advisory levels.
Our next round of Santa Ana winds crank back up Thursday. This event will likely be moderate, not a Particularly Dangerous Situation. Practice fire safety and keep an eye out on current conditions as the environment is still primed for fire growth and development. By Friday temperatures start to drop and weather whiplash kicks in. We cool 15-20 degrees in some areas and rain arrives by the weekend. This will be a delicate situation as too much rain could be devastating. Amounts of rain appear to be a quarter of an inch to half an inch, but if a thunderstorm does develop we could see another half an inch added to those numbers. Please stay safe this weekend and keep an eye on current surroundings.
