High Wind — Santa Barbara County South Coast, California

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

Event narrative

Strong southerly winds developed across the south coast of Santa Barbara county. The RAWS sensor at Las Flores Canyon reported sustained winds of 41 MPH.

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 288821. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.