Low Pressure Keeps Santa Barbara County in 60s and 70s Through Friday

Q: When will Santa Barbara’s cool gray skies finally give way to sunshine, and why might some coastal areas stay gloomy longer?

Santa Barbara should start to see more sunshine late Friday into Saturday, with a clearer and warmer pattern taking hold over the weekend. By Sunday or Monday, temperatures are expected to return to near normal as high pressure rebuilds and the low-pressure system weakens. Some coastal areas may stay gray longer because the marine layer is likely to linger near the shoreline even as inland areas clear out faster. Forecasts indicate the clouds will hang on through the mornings, and in some west-facing beaches and nearshore spots, strong onshore flow and a persistent marine inversion could keep skies overcast well into the afternoon, or even much of the day. The inland valleys should be the first to warm and brighten as the atmosphere dries and the marine layer compresses. Coastal communities, however, will remain more exposed to cool ocean air, patchy fog, and low clouds. That means the transition to sunnier weather will be gradual rather than immediate, especially right along the coast.

2 articles · Updated · KEYT · Aug 13

Highs in the upper 60s and low 70s will keep Santa Barbara County cooler than normal through Friday under a lingering low-pressure system.
Coastal clouds are expected to hold at least through Friday morning, with clearer conditions arriving late Friday and extending into Saturday.
Weekend high pressure will gradually lift temperatures back to normal by Sunday or Monday.
Above-average warmth is then forecast to persist through Wednesday or Thursday, accompanied by breezy north winds next week.