Cold, rainy weather on the way

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A rare and cold September storm is expected to hit the Santa Barbara area Thursday evening and stick around until Saturday morning, weather officials warned.
Temperatures will drop eight to 15 degrees below normal and thunderstorms producing heavy rain and small hail are possible, according to a National Weather Service alert.

"We're looking at some light rain starting up tomorrow, mainly north of Santa Barbara," said Eric Boldt, warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS. "Friday looks to be the best time for rainfall in the Santa Barbara area. We could see things become more unstable with thunderstorms developing by Friday and into Friday night."
Due to the wide swath of land in Santa Barbara's back country recently scorched by the Zaca Fire, weather officials are concerned about heavy rains that may cause mud and debris flows.
"Any new or fresh burn areas are always going to be susceptible to heavy rain," Boldt said. "That is right up there on the list of concerns."
He said there is a 20 to 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Waterspouts throughout coastal waters are also possible, according to the alert.
An estimated half-inch to one inch of rain is expected for most areas, but weather officials said between two and three inches of rainfall is possible along the South Coast and coastal mountain ranges. As the storm starts to move into the region, officials said a deep marine layer will create widespread drizzle on Thursday.
Although previous forecasts suggested the storm would pass through the area quickly, Boldt said it is expected to hang off the Central Coast for 12 to 18 hours.
"Now it looks like it's going to drop down the coast and stall just a little longer," Boldt said. "That gives it more time to gather moisture off the Pacific and give us more rainfall."
According to the alert, this storm system is "almost unprecedented" in terms of cold temperatures and snow levels for September in Southern California. Higher elevations, between 5,500 and 6,000 feet, could see snowfall on Friday. Many locations are expected to hit record lows, officials said, with temperatures more typical of January.
Rainfall should taper off by Saturday, Boldt said, with only a slight chance of showers in the morning.