County sees windy, then calm, Tuesday
Clouds loom over the Santa Barbara Airport during blustery conditions Tuesday.
If you’re going outside tonight, wear a really warm coat.
Expect lows in the mid- to upper 30s everywhere in Santa Barbara County as a cold system sweeps the area.
That’s according to the National Weather Service, which predicted there was a slight chance of a thunderstorm with small hail Tuesday night in the county. That didn’t happen in the Santa Barbara area. There was no thunder, no hail. Goleta saw a few minutes of raindrops.
The real drama came during daytime hours. Tuesday began with furious winds, but by late afternoon, that was replaced suddenly and maybe mysteriously by perfect calm.
During the daytime portion of Tuesday, sprinkles were reported in various locations. A minuscule amount of rain, nothing worthy of an umbrella, fell on Goleta (similar to what the city would see again that night). Elsewhere, 0.02 of an inch of rain was reported in Santa Maria and 0.03 of an inch in Santa Ynez. That’s according to the weather service.
Meanwhile, you don’t need your umbrella today on the South Coast and the Santa Ynez Valley, where the National Weather Service doesn’t predict anything more dramatic than partly cloudy skies. It’s a different story for Lompoc and Santa Maria, where the forecast calls for showers.
Anywhere in Santa Barbara County, you’ll need a jacket, and the need increases as you head north. According to the weather service, today’s highs will be 60 in Santa Barbara, 58 at UCSB, 56 in Lompoc, and 54 in both Santa Ynez and Santa Maria.
As stated previously, lows are expected in the mid- or upper 30s throughout the county.
Later this week, it’ll feel more like Southern California. Nothing but sunshine is expected by the weather service Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but it won’t get much warmer.
But on Sunday, the entire county will see mostly cloudy skies.
Then on Monday, it’ll be sunny again.
For a day.
Expect Tuesday to be partly cloudy, the weather service said.
One trend is clear, if the weather service is right: Not much rain. But keep your jacket handy.
email: dmason@newspress.com
