California, 2015High Surf in California, February 8 to 10, 2015
February 8 to 10, 2015 · NWS SGX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
An elevated long period swell brought high surf to the beaches of Southwest California from the 8th to the 10th of February. There was 1 fatality reported near Laguna Beach.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 1
- 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.
An elevated long period swell brought high surf to the beaches of Southwest California from the 8th to the 10th of February. There was 1 fatality reported near Laguna Beach.
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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 8, 9:40 AM PST, 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 8, 9:40 AM PST, 20 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
940 AM PST SUN FEB 8 2015
.SYNOPSIS...
A FEW DISTURBANCES MOVING NEAR THE REGION WILL MAINTAIN BREEZY
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS THROUGH EARLY
TUESDAY...AND SMALL CHANCES OF VERY LIGHT PRECIPITATION AT TIMES
FROM THE COAST INLAND TO THE MOUNTAINS. FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH
SATURDAY...IT WILL BE WARMER AND DRY WITH WEAK TO MODERATE GUSTY
NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
AT 9 AM PST...WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY DISPLAYED A BROAD
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED NEAR CENTRAL BAJA...AND AN UPPER-LEVEL
LOW OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CA. VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWED PATCHY
LOW CLOUDS OVER PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL WATERS. SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS REPORTED HAZE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE ORANGE COUNTY AND
SAN DIEGO COUNTY COAST...WITH VISIBILITY RANGING FROM 4 TO 6
MILES. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE AROUND 1 OR 2 DEGREES
WARMER THAN YESTERDAY...EXCEPT IN THE LOWER DESERTS WHERE HIGHS
WILL BE SLIGHTLY COOLER.
THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER-LEVEL LOW WILL CONTINUE EAST THROUGH
MONDAY...MAINTAINING BREEZY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS
AND DESERTS AND A DEEPER MARINE LAYER THROUGH THE PERIOD.
ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT...MONDAY
MORNING...MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING AS WEAK LOW PRESSURE
MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. LIMITED INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE WILL YIELD
ONLY LIGHT SHOWERS WHERE PRECIP DEVELOPS. HIGHS WILL BE SLIGHTLY
COOLER ON MONDAY...THEN WARM A FEW DEGREES WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS
ON TUESDAY.
UPPER-LEVEL LOW PRESSURE MOVING FROM THE GREAT BASIN DOWN TO NEAR
CENTRAL BAJA AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING TO OUR NORTH WILL SUPPORT
WEAK TO MODERATE NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS WEDNESDAY THROUGH
SATURDAY. DEPENDING WHERE MODEL SOLUTIONS TREND THE PLACEMENT OF
THE LOW NEXT WEEKEND...THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SOME PRECIPITATION
DEVELOPING OVER THE REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE 08/1200 UTC GFS AND
08/0000 UTC GEM HINT AT THIS SOLUTION...WHILE THE 08/0000 UTC
ECMWF KEEPS US DRY. THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE WILL RAISE HIGH
TEMPERATURES BY 10 TO 15 DEGREES F ABOVE NORMAL BY FRIDAY...WITH
SLIGHT COOLING NEXT WEEKEND. MARINE LAYER CLOUDS AND FOG WILL
LIKELY DISSIPATE MID TO LATE THIS WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...
081600Z...MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND VFR VIS FOR ALL AREAS THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON. LOW CLOUDS WILL REDEVELOP ALONG THE COAST AFTER 09/03Z
THIS EVENING...SPREADING INLAND AND FILLING THE COASTAL BASIN
OVERNIGHT. CIGS WILL BE 800-1200 FT MSL WITH THE OVERALL CLOUD LAYER
THICKENING OVERNIGHT AND TOPS REACHING 2500 TO 3000 FT MSL. AREAS OF
3-5 SM VIS IN BR...LOCALLY LOWER...WHERE CLOUDS INTERSECT INLAND
TERRAIN. SLOW CLEARING IS EXPECTED MONDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY NEAR
THE COAST. A FEW SPRINKLES ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY MORNING AS WELL DUE
TO THE DEEP CLOUD LAYER.
&&
.MARINE...
800 AM...A STORM SYSTEM OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC WILL BUILD A LARGE
WNW SWELL...PEAKING MONDAY AND MONDAY EVENING. THIS WILL GENERATE
COMBINED SEAS OF 8-12 FEET WITH A PERIOD OF 14 SECONDS...WITH THE
HIGHEST SEAS IN THE OUTER WATERS. WIND GUSTS OF 20 TO 25 KT ARE ALSO
LIKELY LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. THE COMBINATION OF HIGH SEAS
AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CREATE A HAZARD FOR SMALLER VESSELS IN THE OPEN
WATERS...SO A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED DURING THIS
PERIOD. WINDS AND SEAS WILL SUBSIDE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
&&
.BEACHES...
HIGHER SURF WILL DEVELOP TODAY AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH
TUESDAY...AS SEVERAL PACIFIC STORMS SEND LARGE WESTERLY SWELLS
TOWARD THE CALIFORNIA COAST. SURF OF 5 TO 8 FEET IS EXPECTED...WITH
SETS TO 10 FEET OR MORE POSSIBLE ALONG EXPOSED...WEST FACING
BEACHES. THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL DEVELOP AS WELL...CREATING
HAZARDOUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS FOR ALL BUT THE MOST EXPERIENCED
SWIMMERS. SURF WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY DECREASE WEDNESDAY.
&&
.SKYWARN...
SKYWARN ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED. HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST TUESDAY FOR THE ORANGE
COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 4 AM MONDAY TO 4 AM PST TUESDAY FOR
THE COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN
BORDER AND OUT TO 30 NM...WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO
THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN
CLEMENTE ISLAND.
&&
PUBLIC...JJT
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...23High Surf, San Diego County Coastal Areas
- When
- February 8, 10:00 AM PST to February 10, 12:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone
- Reported by
- Lifeguard
- Coordinates
- 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
On the 8th at 1225PST surf of 5 to 8 ft was reported by Surfline at Blacks Beach. Surf fell into the 4 to 6 ft range on the 9th. Increases in surf occurred on the 10th with Surfline reporting 5 to 8 ft surf at Oceanside, Pacific, Ocean, Imperial, and Salt Creek Beaches at 0700PST. Also on the 10th, a spotter reported 8 to 10 ft surf at Sunset Cliffs Beach and lifeguards reported 7 ft surf at Moonlight Beach, both at 0800PST.
High Surf, Orange County Coastal
- When
- February 8, 10:00 AM PST to February 10, 8:00 PM PST
- Where
- Orange County Coastal forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Lifeguard
- Coordinates
- 33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At 1330PST on the 8th Laguna beach lifeguards reported an 18 year old male swept off the rocks and into a cave by 5 to 8 ft surf. Lifeguards were unable to locate the 18 year old, and he became a confirmed fatality on the 19th of February when his body was recovered near the south end of Shell Beach in Three Arch Bay. Surf of 8 to 10 ft with occasional sets to 15 ft was reported by the Huntington Beach lifeguards from 1300PST on the 8th until 1600PST on the 10th. At 0700PST on the 10th Surfline reported 5 to 7 ft surf at Salt Creek Beach.
- 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.
- Winter Weather in New Jersey, February 8 to 10, 20151 death · 61 injured · 15 events
- Winter Storm in New York, February 8 to 9, 2015$115,000 · 8 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, February 8 to 10, 201521 events
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 8 to 10, 201513 events
- Winter Weather in Minnesota, February 8, 20157 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Rhode Island, February 8 to 10, 20157 events
- Heavy Snow in New York, February 8 to 9, 20157 events
- High Wind in Oregon, February 8 to 9, 201582 kt wind · 4 events
- Heavy Snow in Connecticut, February 8 to 10, 20153 events
- Winter Weather in Connecticut, February 8 to 9, 20153 events
- High Wind in California, February 8 to 9, 201556 kt wind · 2 events
- Winter Weather in Michigan, February 8 to 9, 20151 event
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: 563035, 563043.