Officials in coastal portions of the Bay Area and Monterey Bay are warning visitors to stay away from the water as dangerous waves are expected while storms pass through the region.
The National Weather Service has issued a high surf warning for the coast, stretching from the North Bay down to the Monterey Bay and Big Sur. The warning will take effect starting at 6 p.m. Friday and will continue until 4 a.m. on Sunday.
Forecasters issued the warning as low pressure systems are expected to produce a very high northwest swell that will impact the coast.
“As the peak of the swell arrives on Saturday, breaking waves will reach up to 35 feet. Occasional sets of 40-50 ft are likely at favored breakpoints,” the weather service said in its Friday morning forecast discussion.
Forecasters added that the expected waves bring “tremendous power” that would overpower anyone in the water and the risk of drowning is very high.
“No selfie is worth your life. If you need to be rescued, you’re also putting first responders at risk,” the weather service posted on social media Thursday.
The weather service urged coastal visitors to stay off jetties, piers and rocks and to not turn one’s back on the ocean.
In Santa Cruz, officials announced that all city beaches and the Santa Cruz Wharf would be closed beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday due to the anticipated waves.
“While the Wharf remains structurally safe, these closures are being implemented as a proactive safety precaution,” city officials said.
The beaches and wharf are expected to reopen at 5 a.m. on Sunday, conditions permitting.
The high surf warning comes as the first in a series of storms brings rain to the Bay Area and Central Coast.
On Friday, rain is expected to begin in the North Bay during the morning commute, extending to the rest of the Bay Area by midmorning and the Central Coast in the afternoon. Forecasters said rain totals are expected to range from half an inch to an inch, with sustained winds of about 15 to 30 mph, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph.
Following a lull in the rain on Saturday, a second storm will pass through the region on Sunday into early Monday. Rainfall totals are expected to be similar to Friday’s storm. A third storm is expected to arrive late Tuesday into Wednesday and Thursday.