Live · updated 1 min ago

Santa Barbara weather alerts

6 active alerts for Santa Barbara, California right now: a Flood Watch, 2 Special Weather Statements, and 3 Flood Advisories.

46 in the last 30 days 189 in 12 months (since Aug 30) most common: Beach Hazards Statement Get alerts on your phone →

Active alerts for Santa Barbara County

NWS issues alerts by county; Santa Barbara is in 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 8 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.

Full alert with map and forecast →

Moderate Expected

Special Weather Statement

Issued Thu, Oct 22, 9:42 AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA Until Thu, Oct 22, 10:45 AM PDT (in 1 hr)

Area: San Luis Obispo County Beaches; San Luis Obispo County Inland Central Coast; Santa Lucia Mountains; San Luis Obispo County Mountains; Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches; Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coa...

At 940 AM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Vandenberg Space Force Base to 14 miles southwest of Point Conception. Movement was northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph. There is also a small chance for a brief, weak tornado. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tr...

What it means: 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.

Full alert with map and forecast →

Moderate Expected

Special Weather Statement

Issued Thu, Oct 22, 9:33 AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA Until Thu, Oct 22, 11:00 AM PDT (in 1 hr)

Area: Santa Clarita Valley; Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range; Ventura County Beaches; Ventura County Inland Coast; Lake Casitas; Ojai Valley; Central Ventura County Valleys; Malibu Coast; Los Angeles County Beaches; Los A...

At 929 AM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms across a broad portion of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Movement of this activity was northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph. There is also a small chance for a brief, weak tornado. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree li...

What it means: 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.

Full alert with map and forecast →

Minor Expected

Flood Advisory

Issued Thu, Oct 22, 7:33 AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA Until Thu, Oct 22, 10:15 AM PDT (in 31 min)

Area: Santa Barbara, CA

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues. Canyon rock and mud slides possible. * WHERE...Far Southeastern Santa Barbara County in southwestern California... * WHEN...Until 1015 AM PDT. * IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Rock slides and mud slides are possible. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 732 AM PDT, Doppler r...

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

Full alert with map and forecast →

Minor Expected

Flood Advisory

Issued Thu, Oct 22, 7:32 AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA Until Thu, Oct 22, 10:15 AM PDT (in 31 min)

Area: Santa Barbara, CA

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues. * WHERE...West Central Santa Barbara County in southwestern California... * WHEN...Until 1015 AM PDT. * IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Water over roadways.Canyon rock and mud slides possible. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 731 AM PDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain...

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

Full alert with map and forecast →

Minor Expected

Flood Advisory

Issued Thu, Oct 22, 7:31 AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA Until Thu, Oct 22, 10:15 AM PDT (in 31 min)

Area: Santa Barbara, CA

* WHAT...Urban area and small stream flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues. * WHERE...Northwestern Santa Barbara County in southwestern California... * WHEN...Until 1015 AM PDT. * IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Water over roadways. Canyon rock and mud slides possible. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 730 AM PDT, Doppl...

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

Full alert with map and forecast →

Get Santa Barbara alerts on your phone before you think to look them up

Forecast Bar watches the official alert feeds around the clock, NWS in the United States and Environment Canada in Canada, and pushes every warning, watch and advisory for your saved locations the moment it is issued. This page is the same data, a few minutes later.

Push notifications for severe weather, with Critical Alerts that break through Focus modes
Storm Tracker and Live Activities that follow a storm cell on your Lock Screen
Radar with warnings drawn on the map, on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Apple TV
Rain alerts, air quality, tides, aurora and custom thresholds you set yourself

Download on theApp Store On Mac, included withSetapp

Forecast Bar severe weather alert notifications on an iPhone Lock Screen

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

Alert	Issued	Ended	Issued by
Flash Flood Warning	9:07 AM	9:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	8:47 AM	9:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flash Flood Warning	8:10 AM	9:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	7:54 AM	8:30 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	7:41 AM	8:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	6:54 AM	7:30 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Advisory	6:46 AM	8:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	6:24 AM	7:00 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flash Flood Warning	6:12 AM	9:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	6:12 AM	6:45 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Advisory	5:42 AM	8:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Advisory	5:40 AM	8:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	5:34 AM	6:00 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Flood Advisory	5:15 AM	8:15 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	5:08 AM	5:30 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Special Weather Statement	4:55 AM	5:30 AM	Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
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

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

Heat Advisory

Special Weather Statement

Wind Advisory

Extreme Heat Warning

Coastal Flood Advisory

Flood Advisory

Flash Flood Warning

High Surf Advisory

Red Flag Warning

Dense Fog Advisory

Fire Weather Watch

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.

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.

Flood Advisory

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

Flash Flood Warning

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

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.

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.

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.

Fire Weather Watch

Critical fire weather conditions are possible. Postpone outdoor burning.

Extreme Heat Watch

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

Nearby

Alerts near Santa Barbara

Cities

San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA7 Oxnard, CA7 Camarillo, CA7 Thousand Oaks, CA7 Santa Maria, CA6 Simi Valley, CA7

Neighbouring counties in California

Ventura County7 San Luis Obispo County4 Kern County2 All of California →

Questions

About Santa Barbara alerts

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

Install Forecast Bar, add Santa Barbara 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, the county Santa Barbara sits in. 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.json returns the active alerts, the last 30 days and the 12-month counts for Santa Barbara, refreshed every minute. Please cache responses and credit National Weather Service as the source.

Never find out about a Santa Barbara County alert from this page again

Add Santa Barbara in Forecast Bar and every NWS warning, watch and advisory arrives as a push notification the moment it is issued, on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Apple TV.

Download on theApp Store For Mac, included withSetapp

Free to download; live weather requires a subscription. On iPhone and iPad, every subscription includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers; Mac plans do not. Mac and iOS plans are separate; Apple TV is included with Forecast Bar Gold on iOS.