Santa Barbara County could be getting the biggest storm of the season this week. After a few days of sun gave residents a break from last week’s light rain, a stronger storm is expected to start Tuesday night and last through Friday.
The storm could bring 2-3 inches of rain across the county and 5-6 inches in the Santa Ynez Mountains, most of which will happen on Thursday, according to Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Thursday is expected to bring moderate to heavy rain with a high risk of flooding on streets, highways, on and off ramps, and in parking lots.
Kittell recommended staying off the roads on Thursday, with the heavy rain potentially causing roadway flooding, traffic accidents, and slick roads.
“Thursday is just not a great day to be on the road,” Kittell said.
Thursday also brings a moderate risk of debris flows in and around the Lake Fire burn area in the eastern Santa Ynez Valley.
The county issued an evacuation warning for Lake Fire burn areas and residents are advised to carefully monitor weather conditions and leave if they feel unsafe.
Last week, the upcoming storm was predicted to possibly mirror the rainfall amounts of the Jan. 9, 2023 storm.
Kittell said that is now unlikely but this storm will still bring numerous impacts as a moderate to strong storm.
The storm could also bring snow to some mountain areas above 6,000 feet.
Weather Forecast
On the South Coast, there is a 20% chance of rain starting after 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the area could get a quarter to half an inch of rain during the day with a high of 56 degrees. Rain is expected to continue into the evening as temperatures drop to a low of 45.
After continuous rain on Thursday, the storm will turn into light showers on Friday morning and taper off into Friday afternoon.
In the North County, rain is expected to begin Tuesday night with a tenth to a quarter inch of rain possible.
On Wednesday, most areas in the North County are expected to get a quarter to half an inch of rain.
After the heaviest part of the storm on Thursday, rain is expected mainly before 10 a.m. on Friday with a slight chance of rain in the evening until 10 p.m.
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