High Wind — Santa Barbara County Central Coast, California

2011-03-20 · Santa Barbara County Central Coast, California

Event narrative

Strong southerly winds developed across the west coast of Santa Barbara county. A wind tower at Vandenberg Air Force Base reported a southerly wind gusts of 60 MPH at 385 feet elevation.

Wider weather episode

A powerful late season winter storm brought gusty winds, heavy snow and flash flooding to Southwestern California. Across the area, rainfall amounts were very significant, ranging from 3-7.5 inches across coastal and valley areas to 5-10 inches across the foothills and mountains. This heavy rainfall produced a couple reports of flash flooding. Cold air, associated with the storm, producing low snow levels. Snowfall totals in the mountains ranged between 1 and 4 feet. Gusty south to southwest were reported with some spots experiencing very strong wind gusts in excess of 70 MPH.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 288818. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.