High Surf in California, February 22 to 23, 2001

Name: High Surf in California, February 22 to 23, 2001
Start: 2001-02-22T14:30
End: 2001-02-23T14:30
Location: California

February 22 to 23, 2001 · NWS LOX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Large northwest swell generated heavy surf along the Central Coast. Widespread surf of 10 to 12 feet was reported.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LOX wrote it up.

Large northwest swell generated heavy surf along the Central Coast. Widespread surf of 10 to 12 feet was reported.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Los Angeles, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 22, 2:30 PM PST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 22, 2:30 PM PST, 0 minutes before

SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
230 PM PST THU FEB 22 2001

FOR THE 12 TO 48 HOUR PERIOD...THE THIRD VORT MAX PARALLELS THE COAST
AND BRINGS ENOUGH LIFT AND COLD AIR FOR THE THREAT OF SHOWERY WEATHER
WITH QUITE LOW SNOW LEVELS BY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY. DURING THE
DAY FRIDAY...FAIRLY STRONG NORTHERLY MID LEVEL FLOW DEVELOPS AND WITH
AVAILABLE MOISTURE THERE SHOULD BE SOME DECENT SNOW ACCUMULATION.
DECIDED AGAINST SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE LATE DAY FORECAST PACKAGE...YET
URGE THE LATER SHIFTS TO CONSIDER ISSUANCE AFTER TAKING A LOOK AT ONE
MORE RUN OF THE MODELS. COLD TEMPS ALOFT OF -28C OR LOWER WILL ALSO
WARRANT THE MENTION OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. THERE
IS NO SIGNIFICANT SOUTHERLY FLOW IN ADVANCE OF THIS STORM SO WILL NOT
EXPECT ANY OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT...ASIDE FROM NORTH FACING SLOPES OF
THE MOUNTAINS ON FRIDAY. RAINFALL LOOKS TO BE FROM ONE QUARTER INCH TO
ONE HALF INCH IN THE COAST AND VALLEYS TO NEAR ONE INCH LIQUID IN THE
MOUNTAINS.

FOR THE EXTENDED...A VERY WEAK RIDGE WILL IMPROVE OUR WEATHER LATE
FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THIS BRIEF RESPITE WILL BE INTERRUPTED BY A
STRONGER STORM FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THIS NEXT SYSTEM IS
PROGGED TO HAVE PLENTY OF SOUTHERLY FLOW FOR OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT ON
THE SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS. STILL...SINCE THE MODELS HAVE
BEEN LESS THAN PERFECT...TIME WIwLL TELL ON THE STRENGTH OF SUNDAY'S
STORM.

LAX 6640. SWEET.

.LAX...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...SEE LAXCWFLAX.
    ...HEAVY SURF ADVISORY...SEE LAXMWSLAX.

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, X W San Luis Obispo

When: February 22, 2:30 PM PST to February 23, 2:30 PM PST
Where: X W San Luis Obispo forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Surf, W Santa Barbara

When: February 22, 2:30 PM PST to February 23, 2:30 PM PST
Where: W Santa Barbara forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

High Surf: Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5230437, 5230438.