Update (March 23, 2024, 10:57 p.m.): Hello, Central Coast! A Wind Advisory has been issued for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties through 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Gusty northerly winds will continue developing across the area through Sunday night as the colder air mass moving across the state will tighten the northerly surface pressure gradient.
There is some concern that gusty winds could reach a little farther into the Ventura County valleys on Sunday evening.
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Original Post (March 23, 2024, 4:39 p.m.): Hello, Central Coast! Hope you have kept your jacket or umbrella handy with the scattered showers occurring this weekend throughout some areas of the Central Coast.
Here are the latest weather headlines for the Central Coast:
The Central Coast will see scattered showers and possibly isolated thunderstorms into Sunday with snow falling in higher elevations as low as 4000 feet. Gusty west-to-northwest winds are expected to occur this weekend. Lastly, dry and warmer weather is expected Monday through at least Wednesday.
Now, here’s a look at your extended forecast:
The initial cold front moved through the area this morning with rainfall amounts around a half inch on average. However, the transition to a showery/convective regime is in progress, though that won't fully take effect until Sunday when the upper low arrives with much colder air.
Models have indicated moderate northwest-to-west flow is developing across the area Saturday afternoon with winds ranging between 25-35 mph along the coast and over the coastal waters. Those will settle down overnight over the land but are set to resume Sunday with even stronger gusts.
A Gale Warning has been issued through early Monday morning until 3 am. Dangerous seas are likely to occur Saturday afternoon through Monday, especially on Sunday when widespread Gales are nearly certain. The strongest winds will be focused across all the waters south of Point Sal, with winds dropping below Gale Force at times northward of Point Sal. There is a 30 percent chance of Gales starting Saturday evening for the Santa Barbara Channel and the Santa Monica Basin.
Increasing lapse rates and cooling aloft will provide an increasingly favorable environment for convective activity Sunday afternoon, especially north of Point Conception and in Los Angeles County.
Locally heavy rain, small hail, and gusty winds are all possible with the storms. For some areas, the rain for this weekend is over but areas north of Point Conception and the mountains are most likely to see at least some additional precipitation on Sunday.
Lowering snow levels are also expected from Saturday evening into Sunday with cooler air moving in. Snow levels are expected to drop in higher elevations as low as 4000 feet early Sunday and again Sunday evening.
Increasing northerly flow later Sunday will create some gusty winds up to 50 mph in the mountains and across southern Santa Barbara County. Some of those northerly winds will filter down into the western Los Angeles valleys and coastal areas Sunday night but likely below advisory levels.
Here's what you can expect to see in your KSBY 7-Day Microclimate Forecast! We are going to have dry and warmer weather Monday and Tuesday with some breezy northerly winds at times, especially in the mountains.
Have a wonderful weekend, Central Coast! Don’t forget to download the KSBY Microclimate App for the latest weather headlines.
