An upcoming wind event in Southern California — similar to the one that fanned the devastating Thomas Fire in December three years ago — will bring the potential for critical fire weather conditions in Santa Barbara County, according to the National Weather Service.
A red flag warning for fire weather danger was issued Sunday afternoon for the county’s mountain, foothill and coastal areas. It will be in effect from 2 p.m. Monday through noon Tuesday.
The red flag warning is an upgrade from an earlier fire weather watch.
“Unusually strong” northeast to east winds could bring gusts of 45-60 mph, especially in the foothills.
The potentially dangerous blustery conditions are related to santa ana winds in Southern California, parts of which also will be under a red flag warning.
Humidity during the period is expected to be very low — from the teens down to the single digits — increasing the possibility of wildfires sparking and raging out of control.
There also will be a high surf advisory in effect from 9 p.m. Monday until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Waves of 5-8 feet with dangerous rip currents are expected along South Coast beaches.
The surf is likely to be highest on beaches with some westerly exposure, such as Rincon Point, forecasters said.
Daytime high temperatures should be in the upper 60s Sunday and Monday, then spiking to the upper 70s on Tuesday.
Overnight lows are expected to be in the low 40s.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
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— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
