The south coast is starting out Thursday morning with some breezy and gusty wind conditions. The region is under a wind advisory through 6 a.m. as wind speeds continue to reach upwards of 30 miles per hour. In the foothills of Montecito, wind gusts of 46 miles per hour were recorded just before 4 a.m. Most of the Central Coast will experience northwesterly winds by the afternoon hours, particularly along the coast of west-facing beaches where wind gusts could reach 20 mph.
Temperatures will be slightly above average Thursday for most Central Coast cities. The inland valleys will be close to the mid-60s, while the coastal valleys will stay between the upper 60s and low 70s. Along the south coast and west-facing beaches, temperatures will likely peak around the upper 60s.
Along the coast, a high surf advisory remains in place as breaking waves will range from 12-16 feet with local sets up to 18 feet. The advisory is set to expire Saturday at 6 p.m., but up until then, there will continue to be strong rip currents and an increased risk of drowning.