The heat wave which was expected to peak Wednesday actually didn’t hit as hard as predicted for much of the Central and South Coasts. A coastal eddy created more marine layer than expected, and that led to cooler than forecast temperatures for the coast. Temperatures inland still remain well above normal, although generally slightly cooler than Tuesday.
Highs as of 4 p.m. Wednesday included a 99 for Ojai, 79 for Oxnard, 77 for Santa Barbara and 97 for Santa Ynez. Also, sundowner winds predicted for Southern Santa Barbara County were milder than expected.
There could be some gusty wind Wednesday night, but strong sundowners are no longer in the forecast. A cooling trend is in the forecast as we move into the weekend, but the brush fire danger remains elevated through at least Friday.