It’s time to bundle up in the Southland, find a cozy fireplace and avoid the water at local beaches.
High surf, tides and winds – along with cold temperatures, rain and even snow – are forecast for Southern California through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service has issued high surf advisories through 4 p.m. Sunday for Los Angeles and Orange County beaches, warning that surf of 4 to 7 feet with 9-foot sets were possible in the morning and persist through the afternoon.
Sunday’s high temperatures will be in the mid 60s, but that’s the best we’ll get as the mercury for most of the coming week will stay in the low 60s. And overnight lows are going to be really cold – in the low 40s and even into the 30s. The overnight low for Tuesday is expected to get down close to freezing in Los Angeles – 35 degrees.
And there’s a possibility of some rain for beach and inland areas and mountain snow overnight Sunday and early Monday morning.
Large waves and strong rip currents will increase the risk of ocean drowning. Sneaker waves can suddenly wash people off of beaches and rock jetties,” the weather service said. The surf was forecast to be highest on exposed west-facing beaches.
High tides near 7 feet between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday combined with the high surf could result in flooding in Orange County if water breaks over jetties and sea walls, forecasters said. There could be coastal flooding in low-lying areas, especially Seal Beach and Sunset Beach.
A lot of swimmers and surfers heeded the advisory along Los Angeles County beaches Saturday, said Lifeguard Captain Kenichi Haskett.
“People are swimming and surfing to their abilities and staying close to manned lifeguard towers,” Haskett said. “We’ve been having rescues, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
The cooler weather kept a lot of people out of the water, which reduced the number of possible rescues, he added.
The morning high tide combined with the heavy surf to send water near oceanfront bike paths and cause minor sand erosion but piers and other structures were not impacted, Haskett said.
The weather service also warned of the potential for damaging winds in the mountains and possibly the Antelope Valley Sunday night into Monday.
Another quick-moving storm system is expected to move across the area late Sunday into Monday morning, forecasters said. Rainfall totals were expected to range from a quarter to a half inch with twice as much in mountain areas and very cold conditions Tuesday through Thursday nights in wind- protected areas.
— City News Service