Driving South to Santa Barbara

We haven't been down here since before I had my operation in Redding, California in late March. So, it is nice to be down here again with more sun than we have had on the northern California coast near San Francisco.

One of the interesting things is that the moisture in the air was quite noticeable almost as if it was raining the mist in the air. My wife finally said that somehow this inland mist in the air was off the ocean even though I'm not sure how this works exactly. 

However, that there is something like a Snow Storm and a Gale out to sea in many western States appears to be happening too. So, this was strange too. 

Also and off shore breeze was consistently down the coast too which means it reminds me of a cooler Santa Ana Wind condition where Fires often blow to the ocean from places like 101 and Las Virgenes Canyon road and take out parts of Malibu or something like this every few years. However, it's too early for that because the ground is still too wet and likely not dry enough for that yet even though all the green wild grasses mostly are yellow or beige like during the summer time. However, the Trees are incredibly green including the Oaks which you see a lot especially more inland driving down 101 from San Francisco to Santa Barbara and even all the way to Los Angeles and points south.

However, it's also true that about 25 million people live between Santa Barbara and San Diego mostly somewhat near to the coast and the ocean because it's a lot cooler to live near the ocean in the summers especially than inland where it more often gets above 100 degrees, especially in the deserts starting about Beaumont and Banning, California all the Way to Texas where it stops almost in the middle of Texas. So, maybe I should say the desert goes from Beaumont and Banning maybe to West Texas. I have been to Austin and San Antonio but only by plane to Austin and then renting a car to San Antonio Texas and Touring the Austin and Boerne, Texas Areas.

So, it's interesting to have this new type of weather that we don't see very often especially this time of year where it's snowing in 10 Western States as of May 16th 2026 including in parts of California?