Massive waves, reaching above 26 feet in some places, will smash Northern California’s coastline on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a high surf warning for Wednesday, warning of rip currents and sneaker waves. Winter walkers were advised to stay off jetties as they could be swept into the ocean.
The waves are expected to batter the coastline across the Bay Area and beyond from 3 a.m. Thursday until 3 a.m. Friday.
San Francisco’s Ocean Beach is forecast to see waves as large as 35 feet, according to the surf forecasting service Surfline.
Rain is also expected throughout Friday and Saturday, with the possibility of falling trees and branches, the service warned.
Surfline predicts that Santa Cruz’s famous surf spot, Steamer Lane, could have waves over 25 feet. Surfers daring the dangerous peaks can be watched from Lighthouse Field along West Cliff Drive.
Meanwhile, Half Moon Bay’s notorious big wave area, Mavericks, which has claimed the lives of two surfers since 1994, is expected to have waves with heights around 30 feet—with the potential for even larger sneaker waves.
Waves at Mavericks will be visible from nearby cliffs along the Pillar Point Bluff. But beware of walking along the beach, particularly during high tide around 10:30 a.m. One of the safest places to watch the phenomena is in Pillar Point Bluff Park, just north of the wave, or from the comfort of your home on the Surfline webcam.
Many beaches along the Northern California coast will be too dangerous to navigate the entire day and much of the week.