Good morning Central Coast! It is going to be a dangerously hot day across the region, so even though the calendar has moved to October our weather seems to be stuck in July.
A large area of high pressure sitting just to the north of us will bring a surge of warm air to the West Coast. This is combining with very weak winds across the region so the heat will simply just stick around.
Communities hugging the ocean will be a bit cooler but the marine influence is limited to beaches. That being said there is a dense fog advisory in place for the south coast and western Santa Barbara County beaches through Thursday morning at 9 a.m.
Today interior valleys will soar into the triple digits, coastal valleys will reach into the 90s. Beaches will be the coolest but still may reach into the 80s for a few spots.
Those temps are a whopping 15 to 20 degrees above average for inland areas.
Thanks to all of that heat there are a lot of alerts in place.
An excessive heat warning is in place for the interiors of Santa Barbara County through 8 p.m. Thursday, plus a heat advisory for most of the rest of our communities is also in place for the same time period.
Add in some gusty winds and there is a fire weather watch in place for the higher elevations also through Thursday.
A slow cool down is expected to start on Friday as the high pressure weakens and winds shift onshore, bringing cooler air from the ocean. This should bring temperatures down by 3 to 6 degrees, potentially ending the need for heat-related warnings and advisories.
The forecast for Friday through Sunday is less certain. Some models predict rising temperatures and renewed offshore flow, which could lead to warmer temperatures than currently forecast. Right now, I'm keeping the forecast pretty warm for October.
Have a great week Central Coast!
