The gusty winds are sticking around for the south coast through the start of the weekend. A wind advisory along Santa Barbara's south coast continues to be extended, this time through 6 p.m. Thursday. What locals can expect is for these northwesterly winds to start out fairly mild before increasing through the afternoon and evening hours. Shifting out of the northwest, wind speeds will likely stay between 20-30 miles per hour with wind gusts up to 45 mph west of Goleta.
Once the advisory expires, a high-wind watch will take effect Thursday through Saturday morning. What is the difference between a watch and a warning? With a high-wind watch, conditions will be favorable. This means that it is likely the south coast could reach wind speeds of 60 mph under this particular watch.
A ridge of high pressure is developing over the west, which will aid in the diminishing of the marine layer through the morning and afternoon. While most temperatures along the coast will be seasonal and in the 60s, coastal and inland valley communities are inching towards or will be slightly above seasonal norms. For the coastal valley communities, expect temperatures to range from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. Over the inland valleys, temperatures will be slightly warmer and closer to the mid-70s. Temperatures will continue to trend up through the start of the weekend.
