Santa Barbara County remains under a high wind advisory through early Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said Monday night.
Strong winds have been raking the South Coast since Sunday afternoon, when a low-pressure system pushed a cold front into the region.
Gale-force northwest winds in Santa Barbara, Montecito and Carpinteria are expected to continue to increase in coverage and late coverage Monday evening, then peak overnight and again Tuesday evening.
Onshore, 20 to 30 mph winds with 40 mph gusts are expected until midnight Monday, then winds are likely to increase to 25 to 35 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph below passes and canyons in the Santa Ynez Mountain range. Similar wind speeds are expected Tuesday evening.
Gusty winds may create hazardous driving conditions along Highway 101 and 154, including the Gaviota and San Marcos passes.
The wind advisory is in effect until 3 a.m. Wednesday.
— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk.