Santa Barbara had a high temperature of 86 degrees Monday — enough to break a heat record for the date, set back in 1942, by one degree.
It was even hotter up in northern Santa Barbara County, but a high of 92 degrees in Santa Maria fell short of the 98-degree record for the date set in 1938, according to the National Weather Service.
The rest of the week will be hot — closer to Friday in particular — but Monday was probably the best chance for breaking a record, said Robbie Munroe, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.
“It looks like we’re in the clear here,” Munroe said.
On Tuesday, the high temperature in Santa Barbara is expected to be 80 degrees, with a 78-degree high in Santa Maria, he said.
Records show the hottest temperatures for Sept. 22 were 91 degrees in Santa Barbara (set in 1987) and 106 degrees in Santa Maria (set in 1939).
Munroe said the rest of the week will hover around the low- to mid-80s until Sunday, when Santa Maria residents could see the high fall to 76 degrees.
Higher temperatures will remain in Santa Barbara, however.
“That might have something to do with possible weak sundowner (winds),” he said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.