A late-summer swell pattern is creating beach hazards on multiple U.S. coastlines ahead of the Labor Day weekend. In California, National Weather Service offices said conditions from Friday, September 4, through at least Monday, September 7, could turn dangerous at beaches from the Bay Area to parts of Southern California. The warnings come as warm inland weather and a holiday weekend are expected to draw larger crowds to the shore.
National Weather Service issues beach hazard alerts along the California coast
The National Weather Service’s San Francisco Bay Area office said a Beach Hazards Statement is in effect from 6 a.m. Friday through 11 p.m. Monday for Pacific beaches in the region, with an increased risk of sneaker waves and strong rip currents. Its forecast office also said breaking waves could reach up to 10 feet at times in exposed areas as long-period swell arrives over the holiday weekend. The office noted in its forecast discussion on Friday, September 4, that hazardous beach conditions were expected at Pacific Coast beaches that day.
In Southern California, the National Weather Service office in San Diego said a High Surf Advisory is scheduled from 6 a.m. Saturday to 11 p.m. Monday for Orange County and San Diego County coastal areas. That advisory warns of strong and dangerous rip and longshore currents, elevated surf and beach erosion in some locations. The San Diego-area beach hazard products also show high tides building through the weekend, including evening tides above 6 feet.
The Bay Area office said the timing is significant because the swell is arriving during a holiday weekend, when otherwise favorable weather can increase beach attendance. Forecasts for Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco all show generally mild to warm conditions through the weekend, which could support heavy beach use even where surf conditions are more dangerous than they appear…