by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

There is an upper level trough will deepening across California today bringing stronger onshore flow to the region.

Strong winds will road along primarily coastal areas and in the mountains and Southcoast in Santa Barbara county. Marine warnings and high surf advisories have also been issued along with these wind advisories:

There is a wind advisory for the Central Coast of both SLO and SB counties until 9pm

Northwest winds will increase to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph this afternoon then continue into the early evening hours.

Winds will be strongest near the immediate coast and across higher terrain.

There is also a wind advisory for the SB county Mtns. and Southcoast from 3pm until 3am Thursday for pass and canyon winds 25-35 with gusts to 50mph.

Travel along all major roadways can be impacted, high profile vehicles are most prone for difficulty.

An extension or re-issuing of these advisories is likely due to expected winds again on Thursday.

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

There are gale force northwesterly winds will continue across portions of the coastal waters through Thursday.

The building wind-generated waves will propagate toward the coast and produce large breakers at many of the west and northwest facing beaches.

As a result there is a high surf advisory in effect until 11 am Thursday.

Surf will build to 9 to 13 feet. Choppy wave conditions are expected due to strong winds over the waters. And the high surf conditions will continue through midday Thursday.

Large breakers and the high risk of rip currents will make swimming dangerous.

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

Tonight: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 45 kt. Combined seas 9 to 12 ft dominant period 11 seconds. Patchy fog after midnight.

Thursday: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt. Combined seas 7 to 9 ft dominant period 10 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning.

Thursday Night: NW winds 25 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt…becoming 15 to 25 kt with gusts to 30 kt by midnight. Combined seas 6 to 8 ft dominant period 9 seconds.

Friday: N winds 10 to 20 kt with gusts to 25 kt…becoming NW 20 to 25 kt with gusts to 30 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 5 to 7 ft dominant period 9 seconds.

Friday Night: NW winds 20 to 25 kt with gusts to 30 kt…becoming N 10 to 20 kt with gusts to 25 kt after midnight. Combined seas 6 to 7 ft. Patchy fog after midnight.

Saturday: NW winds 10 to 20 kt with gusts to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 to 5 ft. Patchy fog.

Sunday: NW winds 15 to 25 kt. Combined seas 4 to 6 ft. Patchy fog.

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

Very windy Wednesday and still windy Thursday with afternoon gusts both days to 40mph, advisories are in place.

A cooling trend will continue through Thursday, below normal daytime temperatures are expected through the holiday weekend with night through morning low clouds and fog in coastal and valley areas. Warming may begin across the region Tuesday.

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

Central Coast winds will start cranking Wednesday afternoon and an advisory starts there from noon to 9 pm Wednesday and may be needed again Thursday.

Northwest winds will increase to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph on will happen on Wednesday afternoon continuing into the early evening hours.

Strongest winds will be near the immediate coast and across higher terrain.

High profile vehicles on the 1 or 101 could be impacted by the winds.

Winds will also be strong in the Santa Barbara county mountains and Southcoast an advisory goes into effect there from 3pm Wednesday through 3am Thursday.

Winds there will potentially be stronger, NW to N winds 25-35 with gusts past 50 are possible.

Travel in certain vehicles along the 101 and 154 will be affected by the winds.

High surf and small craft advisories are already in place because of the expected higher winds.

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

Arroyo Grande 50-78
Atascadero 51-91
CA Valley 51-88
Cambria 47-67
Corbett Canyon 51-76
Creston 50-87
Cuyama 54-88
Goleta 59-71
Grover Beach 51-73
Lompoc 46-68
Los Osos 50-61
Morro Bay 52-58
Paso Robles 53-88
Pismo Beach 50-65
Pozo 49-94
San Luis Obispo 51-76
San Miguel 52-83
Santa Barbara 63-73
Santa Margarita 52-83
Santa Maria 77
Santa Ynez 48-81
Shandon 51-87
Shell Beach 50-65
Solvang 53-81
Templeton 50-91

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

Thursday, May 23: 32 AQI Good Ozone
Friday, May 24: 33 AQI Good Ozone
Saturday, May 25: 31 AQI Good Ozone
Sunday, May 26: 33 AQI Good Ozone

The Air Quality Forecast is provided by the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District.

For more information, visit http://www.slocleanair.org

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

Tonight: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 45 kt. Combined seas 8 to 11 ft dominant period 11 seconds. Patchy fog after midnight.

Wednesday: NW winds 15 to 25 kt with gusts to 35 kt…becoming 25 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 9 to 12 ft dominant period 11 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning.

Wednesday Night: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt. Combined seas 9 to 12 ft dominant period 11 seconds. Patchy fog after midnight.

Thursday: NW winds 20 to 25 kt with gusts to 35 kt. Combined seas 8 to 11 ft dominant period 11 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning.

Thursday Night: NW winds 20 to 25 kt with gusts to 35 kt…becoming 10 to 20 kt with gusts to 25 kt after midnight. Combined seas 8 to 9 ft. Patchy fog after midnight.

Friday: NW winds 10 to 20 kt with gusts to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. NW swell 4 to 6 ft. Patchy fog.

Saturday: NW winds 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 2 to 3 ft. W swell 4 to 5 ft. Patchy fog.

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist

A high surf advisory in effect from 5 pm this afternoon to 11 am Thursday.

Waves and surf will build to 9 to 13 feet. Choppy wave conditions are expected due to strong winds over the waters.

Large breakers and the high risk of rip currents will make swimming dangerous.

by Dave Hovde, KSBY Meteorologist and Greg Murphy, KSBY weather blogger

Today’s Moore tornado is often compared to the 1999 tornado in the same town.

The 1999 Moore, OK tornado was an F5, back in the pre-Enhanced Fujita scale.

36 died in the 1999 tornado, Oklahoma’s deadliest official F5/EF5 (until and if today’s storm is upgraded).

If today’s tornado gets qualified as an EF5 (winds 200+ with catastrophic damage) it would be Oklahoma’s 7th F5/EF5 in the modern era (1950-present). Tornadoes that strong average around one per year in the United States.

Highest Oklahoma tornado death tolls:

1. April 9, 1947 – 116 (181 incl. Texas); 2. May 10, 1905 – 97; 3. May 2, 1920 – 71; 4. April 12, 1945 – 69; 5. April 27, 1942 – 52; 6. May 3, 1999 – 36; 7. June 12, 1942 – 35; 8. April 25, 1893 – 33; 9. Nov. 19, 1930 – 23; 10. May 8, 1882 – 21. So, it’s the deadliest Oklahoma tornado in 66 years.

Update: This morning’s revision puts it as the deadliest since the F5 tornado that went through Moore in 1999. There was also an EF4 in Moore in 2003 with no fatalities. Here is a map showing the paths that all three took. http://goo.gl/maps/UgNhz