California, 2016

High Surf in California, June 15 to 17, 2016

June 15 to 17, 2016 · NWS SGX · 3 events in 1 county or zone

An elevated southerly swell brought high surf to the beaches of Orange County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 SGX wrote it up.

An elevated southerly swell brought high surf to the beaches of Orange County.

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 Jun 15, 1:42 AM PST, 6 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 15, 1:42 AM PST, 6 hours 18 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service San Diego CA
242 AM PDT WED JUN 15 2016

.SYNOPSIS...
A low pressure trough along the West Coast will maintain a deep
marine layer and cool days into Thursday, with areas of night and
morning coastal low clouds and fog extending into the valleys.
Building high pressure will bring much warmer weather and a
shallower marine layer Friday through Monday. The warming will be
very pronounced this weekend into early next week as high
temperatures soar back above average, with the greatest increases
over the valleys and deserts. A coastal eddy developing by Tuesday
morning will bring cooler conditions west of the mountains, with
hot weather continuing further inland.

&&

.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...

Marine stratus has pushed into the valleys this morning with clear
skies elsewhere. Clouds will gradually clear to the coast by late
morning, though the beaches of San Diego County may remain cloudy
through much of the afternoon. A large trough along the west coast
and a deep marine layer will maintain cool weather today, with
minor warming Thursday as the trough begins to push north in
response to a building ridge of high pressure over northwest
Mexico. High temperatures will remain around 5 to 10 degrees below
normal both days. The marine layer won't be quite as deep
tonight, with low clouds extending into the western valleys of San
Diego County and the southern and western portions of the Inland
Empire.

The ridge will strengthen further as it moves north towards the
Four Corners region Friday into early next week. An almost zonally
oriented ridge axis will expand into Southern California, bringing
much hotter weather and limiting any marine influence to the
immediate coast, especially Sunday and Monday. The GFS has backed
off a little on the strength of the high, with the 500 mb heights
down to around 601 dm as opposed to 603, which is still quite
impressive. 850 mb temps have also dropped a degree or two over
Southern California...now around 31 to 33C. Highs Sunday look to
be around 10 to 15 degrees above normal, and up to 15 to 20
degrees above normal on Monday. Highs will be in the mid 80s along
the immediate coast and around 90 a few miles inland. Further
away from the coast in Orange and San Diego counties, highs will
be around 95 to 105, 105 to 110 in the Inland Empire and high
desert, mid 80s to mid 90s in the mountains, and 115 to 120 in the
low deserts. An Excessive Heat Watch remains in effect for all but
the coastal areas Sunday through Tuesday.

Medium range models continue to show a coastal eddy developing
late Monday into Tuesday. This would bring a return of coastal low
clouds and fog and will help cool areas west of the mountains on
Tuesday. The mountains and deserts will remain hot, but still
expect temperatures to lower somewhat Tuesday and Wednesday as
the ridge weakens.

&&

AVIATION...
150800Z...Coast/Valleys...BKN-OVC clouds with bases 1500-2000 ft MSL
and tops to 3000 ft MSL spreading 20-30 miles inland through 15Z.
Cigs have already made it into KONT. Vis 2-5 sm in BR is expected in
the vicinity of KONT and KRAL between 10Z-19Z this morning. Low
clouds will retreat back to the coast, clearing the TAF sites
between 18-23Z but may not clear at all beaches this afternoon.
Stratus expected to reform in the coastal basin after 16/03Z, though
somewhat patchier in nature with a thinner cloud layer.

Mountains/Deserts...Mostly clear with unrestricted vis through
Wednesday. Gusty west winds 25-35 KT on desert mountain slopes,
through the San Gorgonio Pass and into the northern Coachella
Valley in the afternoons and evenings through Friday.

&&

.MARINE...
200 AM...Gusty northwest winds of 15-20 kts over the outer waters
this afternoon and evening with occasional gusts to 25 kts. A short-
period, 8-second wind swell will result in choppy seas as well.

Thursday through Saturday: No hazardous marine weather is expected.

&&

.BEACHES...
200 AM...A 4-foot, 20-second southerly swell will bring elevated
surf today and Thursday. A High Surf Advisory is in effect for
Orange County for surf of 5 to 7 ft with occasional sets to 9 ft. In
San Diego County the surf won't be quite as high, so a Beach Hazards
Statement is in effect for surf of 3 to 6 feet, locally reaching 7
feet at times. The swell and surf will gradually lower Friday
through Sunday.

&&

.SKYWARN...
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are
encouraged to report significant weather conditions.

&&

.SGX Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
CA...Excessive Heat Watch from Sunday morning through Tuesday evening
     for Apple and Lucerne Valleys-Coachella Valley-Orange
     County Inland Areas-Riverside County Mountains-San
     Bernardino County Mountains-San Bernardino and Riverside
     County Valleys-The Inland Empire-San Diego County Deserts-
     San Diego County Mountains-San Diego County Valleys-San
     Gorgonio Pass Near Banning-Santa Ana Mountains and
     Foothills.

     Beach Hazards Statement through Thursday evening for San Diego
     County Coastal Areas.

     Beach Hazards Statement until 6 AM PDT early this morning for
     Orange County Coastal Areas.

     High Surf Advisory from 6 AM this morning to 10 PM PDT Thursday
     for Orange County Coastal Areas.

PZ...None.

&&

PUBLIC...SS
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...TS

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Orange County Coastal

When
June 15, 8:00 AM PST to June 16, 5:00 PM PST
Where
Orange County Coastal forecast zone
Reported by
Lifeguard
Coordinates
33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

San Clemente lifeguards reported 5 to 7 ft surf.

High Surf, Orange County Coastal

When
June 15, 8:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where
Orange County Coastal forecast zone
Reported by
Lifeguard
Coordinates
33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Newport Beach lifeguards reported 5 to 7 ft surf.

High Surf, Orange County Coastal

When
June 15, 8:00 AM PST to June 17, 5:00 PM PST
Where
Orange County Coastal forecast zone
Reported by
Lifeguard
Coordinates
33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Huntington Beach lifeguards reported 6 to 8 ft surf.

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

More

Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, June 2016

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: 644593, 644595, 644597.