‘Dangerously Hot Weather’ Triggers Red Flag Warning, Heat Advisories in Santa Barbara County Through Thursday
High Winds Also Forecast as SoCal Edison Warns of Potential for Public Safety Power Shutoffs in Parts of County
Dry, sunny weather “all combine to bring three days of dangerously hot weather,” the National Weather Service announced Tuesday morning, raising the potential fire hazard to a Red Flag Warning by about 2 p.m. for the interior mountains of Santa Barbara County, or the eastern Santa Ynez Range. It is possible that Sundowner winds will develop and that humidity levels could drop very low. The Red Flag Warning runs from 3 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Thursday.
Although coastal areas will see some dense fog, along the coast and in the valleys, temperatures will rise by as much as 8 and 4 degrees, respectively, on Wednesday. Heat advisories exist for Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. for coastal areas from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. In the valleys, where temps are forecast to rise above 100 degrees, the heat advisory is in effect now through sundown Thursday.
As well as winds that could rise to 35mph gusts, electricity may be cut, SoCal Edison warns. Currently, the forecast area is about 3,200 customers from Gaviota to Naples, and along the 154 from Santa Barbara to Lake Cachuma. As the wind event expected to peak Wednesday afternoon and evening approaches, the outage area maps — and the number of people affected — will change to reflect conditions, said SCE spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas. The map can be found here; set the filter to Public Safety Power Shutoff only to see the PSPS area.
Should the power go off, a Community Resource Center will go up at the Residence Inn in Goleta (6350 Hollister Ave.) from 1-10 p.m. on Wednesday. There, residents can recharge electric devices, get water and snacks, use the bathrooms, and access WiFi.
Updates can be found at ReadySBC.org as well as sign-ups for emergency alerts.
