California cities warned to stay out of ocean

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists in the San Francisco region are warning people in several Californian coastal cities to stay out of the ocean amid an increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents.

Newsweek reached out to the NWS office in San Francisco by phone for comment.

Why It Matters

On Monday morning, the only weather alerts in place for the Golden State were a dense fog advisory in northwestern California and a beach hazards statement running along the coastline.

For the beach hazards statement, NWS meteorologists warned that a moderate swell would create dangerous conditions from south of Monterey to south of Point Reyes, encompassing roughly 270 miles of California shoreline.

What to Know

The beach hazards statement will remain in effect through Tuesday evening, according to the NWS San Francisco office.

The areas at risk for dangerous ocean impacts include San Francisco, coastal North Bay including Point Reyes National Seashore, Santa Cruz, San Francisco’s peninsula coast, northern Monterey Bay, southern Monterey Bay, and Big Sur coast.

The dangerous ocean conditions are caused by a “moderate period northwesterly swell.”

Sneaker waves occur when waves surge further up the shore than expected. They can sweep a person off their feet and are deadly at times.

Rip currents are “powerful, channeled currents” that can move faster than an Olympic swimmer, the NWS said. If caught in a rip current, swimmers are advised to stay calm and swim parallel to the shore until they escape the current. Then, they can angle back and swim to shore.

A small craft advisory also is in place, warning that inexperienced mariners should avoid venturing out into the water until conditions improve, which will occur after 9 a.m. local time Monday morning.

What People Are Saying

NWS San Francisco in a beach hazards statement: “Sneaker waves can unexpectedly run significantly farther up the beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties. These waves can suddenly knock people off their feet and quickly pull them into the cold ocean waters, where currents will be stronger than normal. These waves can also carry driftwood logs and other debris.”

The alert added: “Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.”

NWS Bay Area in a post on X: “While warm conditions can be expected on land, the Pacific Ocean is 51°-57° and will not be your friend during this time with an increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents.”

What Happens Next

Ocean conditions will be dangerous for swimming throughout the San Francisco forecast region until Tuesday night.