Good Morning Central Coast and Happy Valentine's day!
While most of today will be sunny it might be best to plan to be indoors today, it is going to be windy! The storm that we have been talking about for days is here and will bring in a surge of cold air into the region lasting into the weekend. This is also adding some cloud cover and fog to the morning commute. Take extra caution in the interior valleys and in high profile vehicles today.
This system is pushing through on a low pressure system plunging south quickly. That being said just because it has low pressure associated with it doesn't mean that there will be rain. The system is really moisture starved. A sprinkle here or there is possible but it is much more likely to be a wind maker (and therefore a wave maker).
If we do squeeze any rain out of the system it will move through this evening bringing just a few hundredths of an inch of cold rain. In the highest peaks there is the potential for a light dusting of snow as snow levels will fall to 2000ft.
Highs Tuesday will be in the low 50s for most of the region. The Southcoast runs the chance for some 60s as the cold air will take a bit longer to reach them.
The biggest immpact is the winds today. For the Central Coast NW winds of 20-30mph with gusts to 50mph are possible prompting a wind advisory to be in place until 10 pm Tuesday. And in the Santa Barbara County mountains, passes, and canyons even high winds are possible, and a high wind warning is in place there. At the peaks wind gusts up to 60mph are possible.
The winds put a lot of energy into the water and there are high swells and waves. Both the Central and Southcoast have surf advisories in place into Wednesday. 14-18ft for the Central Coast with local sets to 20ft possible. For the Southcoast it is a 4-7ft. forecast with that advisory also in place through Wednesday evening.
Over the next couple of days waves on the central coast will swell significantly. Large breaking waves will reach 14to 18ft and local sets may reach 20ft. Dangerous rip currents are also expected. The high surf advisory will remain in effect through Wednesday night. pic.twitter.com/jUSWd6MY82
— Vivian Rennie (@VivianRennieWx) February 13, 2023
There is also a freeze watch in place for Tuesday night into Wednesday for cold morning lows in the Santa Maria and Lompoc valleys. A few of the interior valleys will see temperatures down to the 20s and wind chills to the teens Wednesday morning.
Temperatures even down to the coasts could bring frost and may damage sensitive crops.
After this cold and windy weather, there will be a minor rebound on temps but another cold system drops in Friday for more light shower potential. At this point the system is tracking a little too far West to bring us significant rain but it is still a few days out so that may change.
More significant warming is possible for the weekend with some mid-60s prospects returning for some in the forecast.
Have a great Valentines Day Central Coast!
