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Santa Barbara County weather alerts

1 active alert for Santa Barbara County, California right now: a Flood Watch.

41 in the last 30 days 168 in 12 months (since Aug 30) most common: Beach Hazards Statement Get alerts on your phone →

Active alerts for Santa Barbara County

Refreshed every few minutes; times in PDT.

Severe Future

Flood Watch

Issued Wed, Oct 21, 8:52 PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA Until Thu, Oct 22, 6:00 PM PDT (in 14 hr)

Area: Santa Ynez Valley; Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast; Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast; Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range; Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range; Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...A portion of southwest California, including the following areas, Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains, Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast, Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast, Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range, Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range and Santa Ynez...

What it means: Conditions are favourable for flooding. Have a plan in case a warning is issued.

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Where

Santa Barbara County on the map

Alert polygons are NWS's own. Forecast Bar's radar shows the same warnings over live precipitation, with future radar and lightning. See the radar.

Last 30 days

Recent alerts for Santa Barbara County

AlertIssuedEndedIssued by
Flash Flood Warning 1:56 AM 2:00 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flash Flood Warning 12:15 AM 2:00 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flash Flood Warning 12:11 AM 2:00 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement Oct 21, 11:39 PM 12:30 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement Oct 21, 10:40 PM Oct 21, 11:45 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flash Flood Warning Oct 21, 10:30 PM 2:00 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flash Flood Warning Oct 21, 10:14 PM 2:00 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement Oct 21, 10:05 PM Oct 21, 10:45 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flash Flood Warning Oct 21, 9:11 PM 2:00 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement Oct 21, 8:47 PM Oct 21, 9:45 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Oct 21, 8:41 PM Oct 21, 8:45 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Advisory Oct 21, 8:28 PM 12:00 AM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement Oct 21, 8:00 PM Oct 21, 9:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Oct 21, 7:44 PM Oct 21, 8:45 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Advisory Oct 21, 7:19 PM Oct 21, 11:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Oct 21, 7:15 PM Oct 21, 8:45 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement Oct 21, 6:58 PM Oct 21, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Advisory Oct 21, 7:33 AM Oct 21, 7:30 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Watch Oct 21, 7:10 AM 4:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Watch Oct 20, 12:11 PM 4:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 17, 1:37 PM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 17, 9:08 AM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 16, 7:50 PM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 16, 5:42 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 16, 2:41 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 16, 11:03 AM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 15, 1:16 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 15, 8:41 AM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 15, 7:38 AM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 14, 9:54 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 14, 3:37 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 14, 1:15 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Red Flag Warning Oct 14, 1:15 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 14, 11:38 AM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Fire Weather Watch Oct 13, 2:38 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Fire Weather Watch Oct 13, 1:49 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Fire Weather Watch Oct 13, 1:43 PM Oct 16, 6:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Beach Hazards Statement Oct 13, 1:27 PM Oct 13, 2:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 13, 11:21 AM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory Oct 13, 10:17 AM Oct 17, 8:00 PM Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Pattern

What Santa Barbara County gets alerted for

Every alert that named Santa Barbara County in the last 12 months, by type. Records begin August 30, 2026, so this fills in over the year.

Beach Hazards Statement
44
Heat Advisory
32
Wind Advisory
18
Extreme Heat Warning
15
Coastal Flood Advisory
12
High Surf Advisory
8
Red Flag Warning
8
Special Weather Statement
8
Flash Flood Warning
6
Flood Advisory
4
Dense Fog Advisory
3
Fire Weather Watch
3

Plain English

What these alerts mean

A warning means the hazard is happening or about to; a watch means conditions favour it; an advisory is a lesser hazard still worth planning around.

Flood Watch

Conditions are favourable for flooding. Have a plan in case a warning is issued.

Flash Flood Warning

Flash flooding is occurring or imminent. Move to higher ground; never drive into water covering a road.

Special Weather Statement

A heads-up about conditions that do not meet warning or advisory criteria but still deserve attention, such as a strong storm, patchy fog or a brief burst of snow.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

A storm with hail of 1 inch or larger, winds of 58 mph or more, or both, is occurring or imminent. Move indoors and away from windows.

Flood Advisory

Minor flooding of streets, streams or low-lying areas is expected. Expect ponding on roads and use caution when driving.

Heat Advisory

Heat index values high enough to cause heat illness with prolonged exposure. Drink water, stay in air conditioning and check on neighbours.

Red Flag Warning

Critical fire weather: dry fuels, low humidity and gusty winds. Any fire can spread rapidly; avoid outdoor burning.

Fire Weather Watch

Critical fire weather conditions are possible. Postpone outdoor burning.

Beach Hazards Statement

Hazards such as rip currents, sneaker waves or cold water are expected at the beach.

Wind Advisory

Sustained winds of 30 mph or more, or gusts to 45 mph, are expected. Use caution driving high-profile vehicles.

Extreme Heat Warning

Extremely dangerous heat. Avoid strenuous activity, stay in cool spaces and never leave people or pets in a vehicle.

Coastal Flood Advisory

Minor coastal flooding is expected, usually around high tide. Expect water on low-lying roads near the shore.

High Surf Advisory

Large breaking waves are expected on beaches, with dangerous rip currents. Stay off jetties and out of the water.

Dense Fog Advisory

Visibility of a quarter mile or less is expected. Slow down and use low beams.

Extreme Heat Watch

Extremely dangerous heat is possible. Make plans to stay cool and hydrated.

Nearby

Alerts near Santa Barbara County

Cities in Santa Barbara County

Santa Maria Santa Barbara

Neighbouring counties in California

Ventura County3 San Luis Obispo County Kern County2 All of California →

Questions

About Santa Barbara County alerts

How do I get Santa Barbara County weather alerts on my iPhone?

Install Forecast Bar, add Santa Barbara County as a location, and turn on severe weather alerts. Every NWS warning, watch and advisory for Santa Barbara County then arrives as a push notification at the moment of issue, with Critical Alerts available for the most dangerous warnings. Forecast Bar also runs on iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Apple TV.

Where do these alerts come from?

From the National Weather Service alert feed (api.weather.gov). NWS issues alerts by county and by forecast zone; this page lists every product that names Santa Barbara County. Forecast Bar checks the feed continuously and this page refreshes within a few minutes of a change.

What is the difference between a watch, a warning and an advisory?

A warning means the hazard is occurring, imminent or very likely: act now. A watch means conditions are favourable for it to develop: prepare and stay informed. An advisory covers a hazard that is less serious than a warning but can still cause real inconvenience or danger if you are not ready for it.

Can I get this data as JSON?

Yes. /weather-alerts/ca/santa-barbara-county.json returns the active alerts, the last 30 days and the 12-month counts for Santa Barbara County, refreshed every minute. Please cache responses and credit National Weather Service as the source.

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