Good evening, Central Coast!
As our many days of rain taper off, below are some of this week's totals. Paso Robles rain gauge is still down, so Templeton is listed below.
Strong southwest winds continue as our latest cold front moves away. Advisory-level winds continue across coastal, valley, and foothill areas with gusts up to 45mph, with the strongest gusts in the mountains and interior sections. Gusts up to 65 mph are possible in interior areas. The Wind Advisories and High Wind Warnings expire at 9 pm.
It's another cold night tonight with lows in the 30s as the colder, drier air moves into the area.
Travel through the interior mountains of Santa Barbara County could be difficult tonight due to snow accumulating between 3,500 feet and 4,500 feet through the Los Padres National Forest. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through 7 a.m. Friday. Snow levels will generally remain above 4,000 feet, but heavier showers could briefly lower levels to around 3,000 feet.
As we head into the weekend, daytime temperatures will run well below normal, and some of the coldest overnight lows are expected along the coast and in valleys tonight and Friday night. A gradual warming trend begins Saturday, though temperatures will remain slightly below normal.
Looking ahead, the forecast trends drier early next week. The next chance of light rain is not expected to arrive until Tuesday and continue into Wednesday, but there remains a chance that no significant rain develops locally.
Stay warm tonight, Central Coast!
-Jim
