Monday’s thunderstorms left downed trees and minor flooding across Santa Barbara County before quickly departing the area.
Most Santa Barbara County areas saw between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld, but some mountain areas had 2 inches or more.
The county’s rainfall monitoring stations showed that 24-hour totals as of 4:30 p.m. included: 1.06 inches in Santa Maria, 1.86 inches in Lompoc, 1.67 inches in Solvang, 0.67 inches in Goleta, 0.58 inches in Santa Barbara and 1.5 to 2.5 inches in the Santa Ynez Mountains.
The speed of the storm was one reason coastal and valley parts of Santa Barbara County saw less rain than expected, Schoenfeld explained.
She said residents could expect light showers for the rest of Monday. Tuesday could bring some sunny weather during the day and rain later in the evening.
Schoenfeld added that Tuesday’s rain is not expected to be as heavy as Monday’s storm, but the weather most likely will be colder throughout the day.
Higher elevations also could see some snow starting on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service forecasts a 100% chance of rain Tuesday night and chances of rain through Thursday. The rain is expected to be lighter on Wednesday and pick up again on Thursday.
The National Weather Service is also warning of strong winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 45 mph.
A flood watch was in effect until midnight Monday, and a high surf advisory is in effect through Friday.
Snow could reach down to the 3,500-foot level, meaning local peaks such as Figueroa Mountain could get a dusting from this week’s storms.
Colder temperatures are also in the forecast. Daytime temperatures are expected to be in the 50s and 60s with overnight lows in the 30s and 40s.
Downed Trees Cause Headaches
Strong winds and heavy rain Monday morning caused downed trees across the county, including several blocking roads and highways in the Goleta Valley.
The southbound side of Highway 101 was closed for a few hours after strong winds knocked over a large eucalyptus tree near Fairview Avenue that blocked all lanes of traffic.
The fallen tree did not cause any injuries.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol responded to the scene to remove the tree.
Caltrans took over the removal and reopened two lanes by 11:32 a.m., according to County Fire Capt. Michael Gray.
The southbound onramp at Fairview Avenue remained closed into the afternoon to allow crews to finish cleaning up the area.
The City of Goleta noted that Public Works staff were responding to storm-related issues Monday morning. Several downed trees were reported in the city, including one blocking Cathedral Oaks Road west of Patterson Avenue.
Caltrans also announced that part of Highway 1 was closed near Orcutt because of flooding on the roadway. The section of the highway that was closed was between Solomon Road and Black Road.
