Full Notification

The National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement affecting areas of Santa Barbara, including the Santa Barbara County South Coast. (See below)

Additionally, the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has issued a press release relating to power outages associated with the predicted weather conditions.

The OEM press release can be found on our website along with additional informatin relating to preparing for power outages:
http://www.montecitofire.com/resources/pdf/Public_Information/OEM_Press%20Release_Power.pdf

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
538 AM PDT THU AUG 9 2012

HOT TEMPERATURES AND INCREASED HUMIDITY ACROSS INLAND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA THROUGH THIS WEEKEND...

STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE UNITED STATES COMBINED WITH WEAK ONSHORE FLOW WILL PUSH DAYTIME TEMPERATURES
WELL ABOVE 100 DEGREES ACROSS INLAND AREAS THROUGH SATURDAY. THE WARMEST LOCATIONS WILL BE IN THE WESTERN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY...SANTA CLARITA VALLEY...ANTELOPE VALLEY...OJAI VALLEY AND INTERIOR PORTIONS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES WHERE HIGHS BETWEEN 105 AND 110 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED. THE REMAINDER OF THE VALLEYS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES WILL ALSO TOP OUT BETWEEN 100 AND 105 DEGREES. THE HOT TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY LAST INTO SUNDAY BEFORE COOLING BEGINS EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FOR THE INTERIOR AREAS WILL BE QUITE WARM WITH LOWS ONLY LOWERING TO THE 70S TO AROUND 80 NEAR THE VALLEY FOOTHILLS AND LOWER MOUNTAIN ELEVATIONS.

A SLIGHT INCREASE IN HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TODAY AND FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS HIGHER HUMIDITY COMBINED WITH VERY HOT TEMPERATURES HAS RESULTED IN AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING BEING ISSUED VALID THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EARLY EVENING HOURS. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL EXCEED 105 DEGREES IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS OF VENTURA COUNTY...AND THE VALLEYS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL ALSO EXCEED 100 DEGREES TODAY AND FRIDAY IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SANTA BARBARA...VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES INCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS.

THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT ANTELOPE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING DUE TO THE INCREASED MONSOONAL MOISTURE. IN FACT...THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING HOURS FOR THE LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. IF THUNDERSTORMS DO INITIATE TODAY THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING WILL BE LOW.

TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER FOR COASTAL AREAS...THOUGH INLAND PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN...SUCH AS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES...WILL REACH THE LOW TO MID 90S. BEACHES WILL BE MUCH COOLER...MOSTLY IN THE 70S...WITH PATCHY DENSE FOG POSSIBLE AT TIMES DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND MORNING HOURS.

OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL ALSO BE WARMER THAN USUAL...WITH LOWS RANGING FROM THE MID TO UPPER 60S IN THE VALLEYS TO LOW TO MID 70S IN THE FOOTHILLS AND ANTELOPE VALLEY.

PERSONS PLANNING TO BE OUTDOORS THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND SHOULD PRACTICE HEAT SAFETY TIPS. KEEP YOUR BODY HYDRATED WITH PLENTY OF WATER AND AVOID STRENUOUS ACTIVITY DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY.