California, 2018

High Surf in California, November 30, 2018

November 30, 2018 · NWS SGX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

A long period west-northwest swell from a low pressure system moved into Southern California and brought high surf to the beaches on November 30th and into December 1st. Surf of 6-10 ft with sets to 12 ft were reported by lifeguards.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
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  • Floods
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

A long period west-northwest swell from a low pressure system moved into Southern California and brought high surf to the beaches on November 30th and into December 1st. Surf of 6-10 ft with sets to 12 ft were reported by lifeguards. Minor coastal flooding occurred the morning of the 30th.

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 Nov 29, 2:01 PM PST, 14 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 29, 2:01 PM PST, 14 hours 59 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, San Diego County Coastal Areas

When
November 30, 5:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where
San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone
Reported by
Buoy
Coordinates
33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

San Clemente Basin Buoy reported persistent 15 ft swell at a 15 second period.

High Surf, Orange County Coastal

When
November 30, 8:00 AM PST to 11:59 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)

Lifeguards at Huntington Beach reported 8 ft surf with sets to 9 ft on November 30th.

High Surf, San Diego County Coastal Areas

When
November 30, 10:00 AM PST to 11:59 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)

Lifeguard reported persistent 10 ft surf at Mission Beach.

High Surf, San Diego County Coastal Areas

When
November 30, 10:00 AM PST to 11:59 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)

Lifeguard reported 8-10 ft surf at Ocean Beach, which forced the closure of the Ocean Beach Pier from November 30th through December 1st.

High Surf, Orange County Coastal

When
November 30, 12:00 PM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where
Orange County Coastal forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
33.677, -117.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Media reported beach erosion during high surf causing damage to the boardwalk at Capistrano Beach in Dana Point. A walkway was severely damaged, palm trees were uprooted and old buried cars were exposed due to the beach erosion.

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 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2018

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 793331, 793332, 793329, 793330, 793333.