High Surf in California, February 3, 2001

Name: High Surf in California, February 3, 2001
Start: 2001-02-03T02:30
End: 2001-02-03T20:30
Location: California

February 3, 2001 · NWS LOX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Large northwest swell generated heavy surf along the Central Coast. Widespread surf of 10 to12 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 to12 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 2, 8:00 PM PST, 6 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 2, 8:00 PM PST, 6 hours 30 minutes before

SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
800 PM PST FRI FEB 2 2001

OFFSHORE FLOW AND A BIG 586 HIGH WILL DELIVER PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AND
HEAT. ZERO UPPER SUPPORT FOR WINDS SO PERHAPS ONLY A SLIGHT OFFSHORE
BREEZE IN THE EARLY AM. BL TEMPS 17 TODAY 22 SATURDAY AND 26 SUNDAY.
VALLEYS WILL COOK UP INTO MID TO UPPER 80S SUNDAY. COASTAL AREAS WILL
NOT RISE AS MUCH SINCE THE WARMING WILL BE QUENCHED BY A FAIRLY STRONG
SEABREEZE.

MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE SOME MID LEVEL MOSITURE FOR CENTRAL COAST.
SATELLITE DOES NOT SHOW ANY COMING DOWN. WILL LET THE MID SHIFT LOOK AT
IT FURTHER.

ACORDING TO THE MRF INCREASING NW FLOW TUESDAY WEDNESDAY WILL KNOCK THE
TEMPS DOWN. NO REAL CLOUDS IN SIGHT THOUGH.

LAX 000. RORKE.

.LAX...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXCWFLAX).

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, X W San Luis Obispo

When: February 3, 2:30 AM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where: X W San Luis Obispo forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Surf, W Santa Barbara

When: February 3, 2:30 AM PST to 8:30 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: 5230295, 5230296.