High Surf in California, March 26 to 27, 2001

Name: High Surf in California, March 26 to 27, 2001
Start: 2001-03-26T06:30
End: 2001-03-27T07:00
Location: California

March 26 to 27, 2001 · NWS LOX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A large northwest swell generated heavy surf along the Central California coast. Widespread surf of 10 to 12 feet with local sets to 14 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.

A large northwest swell generated heavy surf along the Central California coast. Widespread surf of 10 to 12 feet with local sets to 14 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 Mar 26, 3:00 AM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 26, 3:00 AM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
300 AM PST MON MAR 26 2001

SATELLITE PICS SHOW THE THIN VEIL OF CIRRUS EXITING THE DISTRICT...
LEAVING BEHIND STRATUS PILED UP ON NORTH AND COASTAL MOUNTAIN
SLOPES...AND ALONG THE COAST FROM VENTURA COUNTY SOUTHEAST. MORE
SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS INCLUDE THE STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS ACROSS MUCH
OF THE DISTRICT...ESPECIALLY SANTA BARBARA COUNTY...AND THE ARRIVAL
OF A LARGE WESTERLY SWELL IN THE COASTAL WATERS.

MODELS ADVERTISE LITTLE OVERALL CHANGE IN THE GOVERNING FLOW FOR
THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE...ASIDE FROM OCCASIONAL WEAK SHORTWAVES
FIGHTING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE INCREASING RIDGING. THUS...DESPITE
AN OVERALL WARMING TREND...PERIODS OF NORTHERLY WINDS AND (MOSTLY)
HIGH CLOUDS WILL AFFECT MOST AREAS...RESULTING IN LOCALLY VARIABLE
COMBINATIONS OF KATABATIC WARMING AND CLOUD-INDUCED COOLING.

IN ANY EVENT...THESE PERIODIC DISRUPTIONS SHOULD PREVENT A COHESIVE
DECK OF MARINE STRATUS FROM FORMING...PARTICULARLY ALONG SOUTHERN
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. THUS...COASTAL AREAS WILL NOTICE A LASTING
CHANGE FROM THE DOMINANT MARINE LAYER OF THE PAST FEW DAYS.

LAX 000. RYSHKO.

.LAX...GALE WARNING/SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...SEE LAXCWFLAX.
       WIND ADVISORY...SEE LAXNPWLAX.
       HEAVY SURF ADVISORY...SEE LAXMWSLAX.

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, X W San Luis Obispo

When: March 26, 6:30 AM PST to March 27, 7:00 AM PST
Where: X W San Luis Obispo forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Surf, W Santa Barbara

When: March 26, 6:30 AM PST to March 27, 7:00 AM 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, March 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: 5236404, 5236405.