Santa Barbara’s south-facing coast received about an eyelash’s worth of rain late Tuesday afternoon, but hail pelted parts of the foothills. The sudden squall was precipitated by high clouds that roamed onshore after gathering over the ocean overnight and through the chilly morning. By about 3:30 p.m., updrafts were kicking up, and the saturated clouds reached freezing temperatures in the upper altitudes, dropping pellets of ice that racketed off roofs and car windows for a welcome bit of moisture.
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