'Sundowner' winds return to Santa Barbara fire zone

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for parts of the Santa Barbara County, meaning the possibility of more destructive "sundowner" winds.

Gusts of up to 45 mph are expected Thursday afternoon through Friday morning -- exactly a week after the huge, wind-whipped Montecito fire that destroyed scores of homes. Those gusts would be weaker, though, than last week's near-hurricane strength winds. Humidity will "be near or fall to critical levels."

The focus of the fire weather watch is the southern Santa Barbara coast. So far, there are no warnings issued for other parts of Southern California.

Sundowner winds are a Santa Barbara weather condition that have been responsible for numerous major fires that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The sundowner effect can be so destructive because of the violent clash of hot air from the Santa Ynez Mountains and the cool air of the Pacific Ocean.

From the NWS bulletin:

HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD INTO NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA IN THE WAKE OF A WEAK WEATHER SYSTEM PASSING THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THIS WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF NORTH.. SUNDOWNER...WINDS TO THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE AND COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BEGINNING LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY.

-- Shelby Grad

See photos from the battle against the Southern California wildfires.

Comments

[Milt]

The Tea Fire was only partially in Montecito. Most of the homes burned were in the City of Santa Barbara. Just because Oprah and Rob Lowe have homes in Montecito should not make it the focus of this story.

The fire destroyed 210 homes, not 'scores'.

C'mon LAT, you're a newspaper, so please present the facts with both accuracy and precision.