Winter weather
California: 25- to 50-foot waves, Sierra snow and 90 mph gusts Friday
By Ryan Hall, Y'all Weather Desk · Published · Updated
Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data.
What's new: Storm coming ashore: wave warnings, Tahoe snow and gust numbers, and flood advisories
Key points
- Coast: A High Surf Warning starts at 6 PM Pacific for the San Francisco coast. Breakers run 25 to 35 feet, with occasional 40- to 50-foot sets at favored spots.
- North Coast: Waves of 30 to 40 feet hit the Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino coasts. In northern Humboldt County the warning runs from 1 PM Friday to 4 AM Pacific Sunday.
- Sierra: Heavy, wet snow around Lake Tahoe from 10 AM Friday to 10 AM Pacific Saturday, with ridge gusts of 70 to 90 mph.
- Rain: A Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) flash flood risk covers parts of northern and central California today, including San Francisco and Sacramento.
- What it means: Stay off beaches and jetties tonight, and plan on slow, windy mountain driving through Saturday morning.
A Pacific storm is coming ashore in California today, Friday, Nov. 13, bringing breakers of 25 to 35 feet, with occasional sets of 40 to 50 feet, to the San Francisco coast starting at 6 PM Pacific, and waves of 30 to 40 feet to the Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino coasts. In the Sierra, heavy snow of up to 20 inches along the crest west of Lake Tahoe, and 1 to 2 feet above 7,000 feet in Mono County, comes with ridge gusts of 70 to 90 mph. Lake Tahoe's Winter Storm Warning runs until 10 AM Pacific Saturday.
Rain and thunderstorms ride in on the cold front today, and another round of rain reaches northwest Washington on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The storm is coming ashore today
This satellite view from 12:10 PM ET shows the whole spiral, from the open Pacific to the Sierra. The storm that sent big swells toward the coast Thursday is now pushing a cold front through northern and central California this morning and afternoon.
Waves of 25 to 50 feet reach the coast tonight
The High Surf Warning for the San Francisco coast starts at 6 PM Pacific. Breakers should run 25 to 35 feet, with occasional sets of 40 to 50 feet at favored breakpoints. Farther north, the Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino coasts are under a warning for waves of 30 to 40 feet. These wave ranges are in the warnings, but the exact height at any one beach will vary.
Sneaker waves are the sneaky part. Breaking waves of 15 to 20 feet are expected this afternoon along the southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur coast, with a higher risk of strong rip currents.
High tides add water on top of the surf. Coastal flood advisories run until 4 PM Pacific for the San Francisco Bay shoreline and the North Bay valleys, where up to 1.5 feet of water over low-lying ground is possible. A Flood Advisory until 4 PM also covers low areas along the Delta waterways in Solano, Yolo, Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties.
Up to 2 feet of snow and 90 mph gusts in the Sierra
Heavy, wet snow is the story around Lake Tahoe, and totals depend on elevation:
- Near 12 inches above 7,000 feet, and up to 6 inches below that.
- Up to 20 inches along the crest west of the lake.
- In Mono County, 1 to 2 feet above 7,000 feet.
Wind makes it harder. Ridge gusts of 70 to 90 mph are possible, and Truckee and the Lake Tahoe communities could see gusts of 45 to 55 mph. Our snow forecasts have the latest totals.
Rain today in California, then Washington Saturday
Today's cold front can set off scattered to organized thunderstorms across northern and central California. Rain rates of a quarter to a half inch per hour are possible, and some high-resolution runs show 1 to 3 inches over 24 hours. That could cause isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas like San Francisco and Sacramento. The flash flood outlook has the current map.
Northwest Washington and the Olympic Peninsula get another round Saturday. That area has a Level 1 of 4 risk, with an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain, locally more, much of it in a roughly 12-hour window. Some rivers could spill over their banks.
The mountains are not done. Another Pacific system brings several inches of snow to the Cascades, northern Sierra and Rockies Monday and Tuesday, mostly at passes and high terrain. Confidence is moderate to high for that one. A deeper system late next week is much less certain.
What to do
- Stay off beaches, jetties and coastal rocks tonight, even if the water looks calm between sets. Never turn your back on the surf.
- Near the San Francisco Bay shoreline or the Delta, move cars off low streets while the advisories are in effect.
- If you can, skip Sierra crossings through Saturday morning. If you have to go, carry chains, a full tank, and extra food and water.
- Never drive through water over the road, and give wet pavement extra room around the Bay Area and Sacramento this afternoon.
- Check active warnings before you leave, and sign up for free Y'all Alerts.
Bottom line
Breakers of 25 to 35 feet, with sets of 40 to 50 feet, hit the San Francisco coast tonight, and the Sierra gets up to 2 feet of snow with ridge gusts up to 90 mph through Saturday morning. The surf and the snow are the main threats, and the flash flood risk stays at Level 1 of 4.
Explained: Flood Advisory, Watch, Warning and Flash Flood Warning explained, What the flash flood risk levels mean, from Level 1 to Level 4
More on West winter weather, November 2026
Places in this story: San Francisco, CA; Sacramento, CA