Transport winds expected to blow away smoke this weekend
Santa Barbara residents can expect cooler and less smoky conditions this weekend.
Transport winds from a low-pressure system arriving Friday in Northern California are expected to blow away smoke from the ongoing West Coast wildfires.
Much of Santa Barbara’s current smoke cover at 6,000 feet has already passed on, but there are still pockets of ground level and near-ground level smoke. Due to these pockets scattered throughout the county, the county’s Air Pollution Control District has designated today’s air quality the same as on Wednesday, unhealthy for sensitive groups, said Lyz Hoffman, district spokeswoman.
Sensitive groups include children, seniors, pregnant women, and individuals with heart and lung conditions.
Air carried by the incoming system’s transport winds is far cleaner than the air currently over Santa Barbara, and Ms. Hoffman said it is expected to bring ground-level air quality conditions back to healthier levels.
The incoming low-pressure system is forecast to begin on Friday and last until Tuesday.
While smoky conditions remain however, she recommends Santa Barbara residents keep abreast of their area’s air quality readings.
“Because things are so dynamic and things can change, I encourage people to keep checking the air quality data and use their common sense when going outside,” Ms. Hoffman said.
National Weather Service meteorologist David Sweet told the News-Press that this weekend’s low-pressure system is expected to improve air quality and visibility in the county. It is also predicted to begin a cooling trend.
Today’s high temperature in Santa Barbara is forecast to reach 84 degrees and climb to 87 degrees on Friday due to sundowner winds. Temperatures are then expected to drop considerably after the arrival of the low-pressure system, with Saturday reaching a high of 75 degrees, Sunday a high of 76 degrees, and Monday a high of 74 degrees.
UCSB temperatures are forecast to be consistently lower than those in the city, but will follow the same cooling trend. Today, UCSB is forecast to reach a high of 78, Friday a high of 81, Saturday a high of 77, Sunday a high of 73, and Monday a high of 71.
This trend is also expected for Santa Maria, forecast to be even cooler over the next several days than Santa Barbara or UCSB. Santa Maria is predicted to reach a high of 76 degrees today, 77 degrees on Friday, 75 degrees on Saturday, 73 degrees on Sunday, and 70 degrees on Monday.
email: jgrega@newspress.com
