High Wind — Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains, California

2023-01-04 · Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains, California

Event narrative

Strong southerly winds impacted the interior mountains of Santa Barbara county. The strongest gusts were recorded at the Tepusquet RAWS with southerly gusts peaking at 61 MPH.

Wider weather episode

A winter storm brought strong winds, moderate to heavy rainfall and high elevation snowfall to the area. Overall, rainfall totals ranged from 2 to 4 inches across coastal and valley areas with 4 to 8 inches across the foothills and mountains. Rainfall intensities were moderate, resulting in widespread nuisance urban flooding. Snow levels remained very high, above 6000 feet, with the resort level receiving 8-16 inches of snowfall. Along with the rain and snow, gusty southerly winds were reported with gusts up to 87 MPH.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1079254. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.