Biggest waves of season, flood concerns headed for Southern California coast

The biggest swell of the winter so far is on track to slam Southern California beaches later this week, bringing waves in the 10- to 12-foot range to some areas along the coast.

The forecast also calls for potential flooding in vulnerable areas during morning high tides that could push water into parking lots, streets and up to people’s homes.

“It’s definitely going to be big,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell. “This should be the biggest swell so far this winter.”

The westerly swell is expected to come in on Thursday and Friday, before another swell follows on Saturday into Sunday.

Some west-facing beaches in Orange County could get waves up to 12-feet tall, Maxwell said, especially in northern Orange County.

Los Angeles County beaches will also see sizable surf, from 3- to 6-feet tall waves in most areas but up to 12- to 15-feet tall along stretches of the South Bay and Malibu area, said Mike Wofford, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles.

“We could be seeing some pretty impressive surf highs, maybe heights we haven’t seen in quite a long time,” he said.  “What we’re looking at is surf as much as up to 10 feet, maybe even a bit higher.

“That’s pretty unusual for our area.”

Morning high tides could also cause issues for beach parking lots, even homes, around the beach, he said. “We are advising people to take precautions as much as possible.”

Beachgoers should use caution, even at the shoreline.

“Things can look dry, but the surf can come up in an instant and you may not have time to react,” Wofford said. “We really encourage people to stay out of harm’s way.”

And for people going into the ocean, they should exercise caution, he said.

“We always suggest to swim near a lifeguard,”  he said.

There also could be some rain on the way, nothing “super impactful,” but a few systems that could bring a quarter, maybe up to a half inch, of rain, Wofford said.

Another system could follow on New Year’s Day and into Tuesday, he said.