The biggest waves in years are forecast to slam the Northern California coast this weekend as powerful storms in the Gulf of Alaska churn up the Pacific Ocean.
Breaking waves of 30 to 40 feet are possible late Friday through Saturday afternoon. The swell is forecast to affect areas north of Point Conception in Santa Barbara, including the San Francisco coast, and could extend north toward Vancouver Island.
Those waves could be “pretty problematic” said Joe Merchant, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, who added that there may be more such wave events coming in the next few weeks. Seven or eight pulses of energy are possible through the week of Thanksgiving, which will keep oceans “unsettled.” High surf warnings are very likely this weekend, according to Merchant…