SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
FIRE DEPARTMENT
ERIC L. PETERSON
FIRE CHIEF
4410 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- Sundowner Winds SANTA BARBARA, Ca. April 6, 2015 – The Santa Barbara County Fire Department
wants to remind people that this is the time of year that our County experiences
sundowner winds. The National Weather Service has issued several wind advisories over
the last couple of weeks. Even with rain expected this week, it will probably not be
enough to make a difference in the fuel moistures and the fire threat. The following is an
explanation of the Sundowner winds that are unique to the Santa Barbara front country.
A Sundowner wind is a warming, downslope wind that occasionally occurs along the
south coast of Santa Barbara County. It can occur at any time of year, or at any time of
day. But Sundowners are most prevalent in the late spring and early summer with their
greatest frequency during the late afternoon and early nighttime hours, thus the reference
to the sun going down.
These warming winds occur as a strong north-south pressure gradient develops between
the central coast of California and the Los Angeles Basin. This pressure gradient, at times
aided by strong winds aloft, cause gusty north winds to blow over the Santa Ynez
mountain range that descends to the coast and beaches. This katabatic wind warms and
dries out the air as it descends the mountains and displaces the usually cool, moist air at
the coast. When the wind is funneled through the passes and coastal canyons it can cause
wind gusts of tropical storm or hurricane force. Two areas, Goleta and Montecito, are
places where the strongest winds can usually be found.
Large temperature rises occurs as these winds develop. In fact, sundowners are
responsible for the hottest weather in the city of Santa Barbara. The all-time record high
of 109 occurred on June 27, 1990 during a Sundowner event.
Remember fire season is now year round in Southern California due to the extended
drought. A sundowner event with the combination of strong winds and very dry, hot air
can cause a small fire to become a very large destructive fire in a short period of time.
If you see smoke especially on a windy day don’t hesitate to report it and call 911.
Contact Information:
Captain Dave Zaniboni
Information Officer
Office 805.681-5531
Cell 805.689-0599
News Line 805.681-5546
Email david.zaniboni@sbcfire.com
All Santa Barbara County Fire Department Public Service Announcements are available
at www.sbcfire.com
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