Winter weather
Waves over 40 feet could hit Northern California Friday night; surf warning to Sunday
By Ryan Hall, Y'all Weather Desk · Published
Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data.
Key points
- Where: The San Francisco coast, with alerts also covering southern Monterey Bay and the Big Sur coast.
- When: The High Surf Warning runs from 6 PM Friday to 4 AM Sunday, Pacific time. The swell reaches the coast Friday night.
- What: Breaking waves of 25 to 35 feet, with occasional sets of 40 to 50 feet at favored breakpoints.
- What it means: Beaches, jetties, tide pools and coastal rocks are not safe. A bigger wave can come in behind a quiet stretch.
Dangerous breaking waves of 25 to 35 feet, with occasional sets of 40 to 50 feet, are forecast along the San Francisco, southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur coasts from 6 PM Friday, Nov. 13, to 4 AM Sunday, Nov. 15, Pacific time. A High Surf Warning covers that stretch, and the swell is already on its way: our wave model shows seas near 41 feet about 500 miles off Northern California on Friday morning.
The biggest sets could occur at favored breakpoints. Anywhere on this coast, the surf zone is no place to be.
Where the swell comes from
The same Pacific storm that has the Sierra under winter storm warnings is throwing this swell at the West Coast. Our wave model puts the biggest seas at 40.9 feet around 10 AM Pacific Friday, roughly 500 miles off northern California.
That number is significant wave height.
How it plays out on the coast
Open water near San Francisco should run about 22 feet by 10 PM Friday and about 25 feet by 4 AM Saturday. Those are open-water seas. The warning calls for 25- to 35-foot breakers, with occasional 40- to 50-foot sets at favored breakpoints.
Earlier on Friday, a Coastal Flood Advisory is up until 4 PM for the San Francisco Bay shoreline and the North Bay. It says up to 1.5 feet of inundation above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. A Beach Hazards Statement runs through Friday afternoon for San Francisco, southern Monterey Bay and the Big Sur coast. It warns of sneaker waves and strong rip currents, with breakers of 15 to 20 feet.
The wave model run I used was the 06Z Thursday run, and the 12Z run wasn't out yet at 7:40 AM ET.
What to do
- Stay off beaches, rocks, jetties and sea walls from Friday evening through early Sunday morning.
- Don't turn your back on the ocean. Sneaker waves reach farther up the beach than the ones before them.
- Skip the waves-and-photos trip.
- If you live or work on the Bay shoreline, water is possible in the lowest spots before 4 PM Friday. Move cars and gear out of the lowest parking areas.
- If you are driving along the coast, avoid pullouts right at the water Friday night and Saturday.
- Check the live warnings page for changes, and sign up for free Y'all Alerts.
More Pacific weather arrives Sunday
A stronger, colder Pacific trough pushes onto the West Coast on Sunday and drives a cold front across California and the Pacific Northwest. Snow levels fall significantly along the Sierra Nevada and northern California ranges. Confidence is high in a period of moderate to heavy mountain snow from Sunday into early Monday. Our winter storm outlook has the details if you plan to cross the Sierra.
Bottom line
Breaking waves over 40 feet are possible in Northern California beginning Friday night, and the surf warning lasts until 4 AM Sunday, Pacific time. Stay away from the water's edge until it ends.
| When | What | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 10 AM PT | 40.9 ft | About 500 miles off northern California |
| Fri 10 PM PT | 22 ft | Near San Francisco |
| Sat 4 AM PT | 25 ft | Near San Francisco |
More on West winter weather, November 2026
Places in this story: San Francisco, CA; Big Sur, CA
Sources
- GFS, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction