Full Notification

Montecito Fire has had direct conversations with the National Weather Service who stated that there are some models that indicate we may have damaging winds up to 60 mph. This, combined with single digit humidities is cause for concern.

In preparation for the anticipated event, Montecito Fire has upstaffed personnel and our dispatch center.

National Weather Service statement as of 12:01PM 10/25/12:

Wind Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
1201 PM PDT THU OCT 25 2012

...GUSTY NORTH WINDS THROUGH THIS EVENING...
...FIRST NOTABLE SANTA ANA WIND EVENT OF THE SEASON TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...

.GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF SANTA BARBARA... VENTURA... AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES.

THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT SANTA ANA WIND EVENT WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY...IMPACTING MUCH OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES. THERE WILL LIKELY BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES INCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA RANGE. A RED FLAG WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES DUE TO THE EXTREME FIRE DANGER THAT THIS SANTA ANA EVENT WILL BRING TO THE REGION.

CAZ039-052-260315-
/O.CON.KLOX.WI.Y.0070.000000T0000Z-121026T1000Z/
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST-SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SANTA BARBARA...MONTECITO... CARPINTERIA...SAN MARCOS PASS...SAN RAFAEL WILDERNESS AREA... DICK SMITH WILDERNESS AREA

1201 PM PDT THU OCT 25 2012

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM PDT FRIDAY...

* WINDS AND TIMING...AREAS OF NORTH WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS. FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT...THE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH...STRONGEST THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS. ISOLATED GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HILLS ABOVE MONTECITO.

* IMPACTS...WINDS THIS STRONG COULD MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. MAJOR ROADWAYS THAT COULD BE IMPACTED INCLUDE HIGHWAYS 101... 154... AND 192 ESPECIALLY NEAR GAVIOTA... SAN MARCOS PASS AND BELOW THE HILLS OF MONTECITO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT... ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.