Hazardous beach conditions are in place along the Santa Barbara County coast this week, with elevated surf expected through Thursday and strong rip currents lingering into Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Surf along the county’s west-facing beaches, including the Lompoc and Santa Maria coasts, is expected to reach 8 to 12 feet under a High Surf Advisory.
Rich Thompson, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the higher surf is confined to areas north of Point Conception, with smaller but still elevated waves reaching the South Coast.
“We’re looking at around 3 to 5 feet or so on the south coast of Santa Barbara,” Thompson said.
The elevated surf is also creating hazardous conditions for swimmers. Thompson said rip currents are always present along the local shoreline but become more dangerous when the surf builds, and that the incoming swell will make them “more significant and more widespread” through Saturday.
Cold Nights, Then Mild Weekend Warm-up
The NWS forecasts cold overnight temperatures in the 30s and 40s across the county this week.
A warming trend is expected across parts of Santa Barbara County this weekend as high pressure builds over the region, bringing slightly higher temperatures in many areas from Friday through Sunday, according to Thompson. The pattern will keep conditions dry into next week.
Highs on the South Coast including Goleta and Santa Barbara are expected to reach the mid-to-upper 60s through the weekend, with overnight lows in the upper-40s and low-50s.
Santa Maria will see highs in the upper-60s to near 70 with nighttime lows in the upper-30s and low-40s.
Inland areas of the Santa Ynez Valley, including Solvang, are expected to warm into the low-to mid-70s by the weekend, with overnight lows dropping into the upper-30s.
