Cold temperatures and scattered showers are in the forecast for Santa Barbara County for the week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend, and warming centers will be activated for those seeking shelter on the streets.
A storm system will be moving through the Central and South Coast communities late Tuesday through Wednesday, according to Scott Sukup, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Though Sukup said that the rain event will be a minor one, and there’s only a 30- to 40-percent chance of rain on the South Coast, the temperatures are expected to drop in a big way.
“It’s going to be cooling off quiet a bit,” he said.
Lows at night will dip down to the mid-30s to mid-40s, with daytime highs in the upper 50s and low 60s, Sukup said.
These temperatures should last through Thanksgiving Day.
A second wave of rain may come through on Wednesday, but with the same percentages as earlier in the week.
A slight chance of rain is also expected Friday and Saturday, but “it’s a low-confidence forecast,” he said.
Things won’t warm up until Sunday, when temps in the low 60s are expected.
A beach hazard statement was also issued by the National Weather Service that will remain in effect until Friday.
High tides have been running almost one foot above predicted, and caution is urged for people in or near the water.
The high tides “mean you could see minor coastal flooding in low-lying areas,” Sukup said.
Warming centers will be activate on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27, for anyone who wants to get out of the cold.
On the South Coast, the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, 1535 Santa Barbara St., will be open, as well as the University Methodist Church, 892 Camino Del Sur in Isla Vista, and the Veterans’ Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave., in Carpinteria.
In the North County, Peace Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Ocean Blvd., in Lompoc will be open.
All locations will be open from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on both days.
For more information on the warming centers, call 805.324.2372.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
