High surf will pound Southern California’s coastline this week, striking tonight and again on Thursday in a week that will see the weather shift from mild and dry to cool and wet.
“The largest surf event of the season so far will begin tonight and continue through Tuesday evening,” warned a National Weather Service statement.
High surf of 15-20 feet with locally higher sets is expected along the Central Coast while across west facing beaches of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, forecasters are expecting surf of 6-10 feet with local maximum sets to 12 feet, it said.
A high surf advisory went into effect in Los Angeles and Orange counties at 6 this morning and was scheduled to be in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“A second, possibly stronger high surf event is expected starting Thursday, likely lasting into the weekend,” the NWS statement said.
Relatively high tides at six feet or higher during the early morning hours will increase the impacts of the high surf on area beaches, forecasters said.
“These surf conditions will produce dangerous rip currents, minor coastal flooding and beach erosion, as well as sneaker waves that can inundate beaches and overtop jetties and rock walls,” it said, adding that inexperienced swimmers and surfers should stay out of the water amid high surf.
“Also, keep at a safe distance from the surf, stay off of rock walls and jetties and never turn your back on the ocean,” the statement said.
The NWS forecast partly cloudy skies today and highs of 66 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 72 on Mount Wilson; 73 in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 74 in Saugus; 76 in Avalon; 77 at LAX, in Mission Viejo and Irvine; 79 in Anaheim; 80 in downtown L.A., Pasadena and Burbank; 81 in Woodland Hills, Long Beach and Fullerton; and 82 in San Gabriel and Yorba Linda.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the 70s through Wednesday in many communities but go down a few degrees Thursday, when rain is expected. On Friday, amid showers, highs will fall into the 60s.
