Wind conditions and rainfall are forecast for Santa Barbara County this weekend and early next week, according to the National Weather Service.
A wind permit was issued on Saturday and will be in force until Sunday at 4 am for the southern coast of the county and mountainous areas.
The recommendation calls for winds from northwest to north of 15-30 mph with gusts of up to 45 mph.
The winds are likely to affect communities in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpentry, San Marcos Pass and the wilderness of San Rafael and Dick Smith, according to the weather service.
Strongest winds are expected over the foothills, including Montecito, and between the Gaviota coast and the Refugio area.
Road travel in the area could be affected by gusts of wind, including Highway 101, Highway 154 and Highway 192, as well as Gaviota and San Marcos Passes, the NWS advisory said.
The meteorological service warned that strong winds could move unsafe objects and could make it more difficult to drive, especially for a high-profile vehicle.
“Be extra careful when driving, especially if you are driving a high-profile vehicle,” the adviser said. “Secure objects outdoors”.
Rain is expected in most of Santa Barbara County late Sunday night through Monday, according to NWS.
Meteorologists called for a 50% chance of rain on Sunday after midnight and a 40% chance of rain on Monday morning, with conditions becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon on the south coast.
In addition, gusts of up to 25 mph are forecast on Monday.
Rain is expected to fall between 22:00 and 04:00 on Sunday in areas of North County, including Santa Maria and Lompoc. Meteorologists set the chance of rain at 60% on Sunday evening and 30% chance of rain before 10 in the morning on Monday.
Total amounts of rain from late Sunday to Monday evening are expected to range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch across the region, with higher amounts likely in mountainous areas, the NWS said in a forecast discussion on Saturday afternoon.
Snow levels from 5,000 to 5,500 feet were forecast for Sunday evening, falling between 4,000 and 4,500 feet Monday morning.
Snow levels can drop to about or below 3,000 to 3,500 feet by Monday afternoon and are expected to drop further between 2,500 and 3,000 feet by Monday evening.
Up to 4 inches of snow is possible, with the highest snow accumulation over about 4,500 feet, according to the NWS.
High temperatures from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s are forecast for much of the region by the weekend, with overnight lows in the mid-1940s to around 50 degrees.
Sunny skies are expected on Tuesday in most of the county.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Meteorological Service.
– Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be contacted at . (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Sign in with Noozhawk on Facebook.