CHP Santa Barbara shared an image underscoring the dangers of unnecessary travel during inclement weather with Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in effect across the Central Coast, as credited by CaliFireTracker on X at approximately 6:00 PM UTC on February 16, 2026. The post emphasized following NWSLosAngeles for official warnings throughout the day. CaliFireTracker, monitoring conditions with the CWT team, reposted the CHP Santa Barbara image to stress avoidance of all non-essential travel amid ongoing severe weather, building on the Wind Advisory persisting through the day as reported earlier by the National Weather Service Bay Area. The advisory follows the first storm system's impacts, including rare tornado risks for Los Angeles until mid-afternoon and forecasts of 1-3 inches of rain west of the mountains by tomorrow morning, according to SoCalweathernet and MaxVelocityWX in prior updates.
