Astronomical High Tide Warning

The National Weather Service has issued a high surf and high tide warning for South facing beaches this weekend including Long Beach.  While Long Beach won’t suffer from high surf thanks to the Breakwater there is a chance of coastal flooding along the Long Beach pennisula. 

Issued by The National Weather Service
Los Angeles, CA
4:45 am PDT, Wed., Jul. 22, 2009

BREAKERS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO EVENING ACROSS SOUTH FACING BEACHES… WITH THE HIGHEST SURF CONDITIONS EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. DURING THE PEAK OF THE EVENT… BREAKERS OF 4 TO 7 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTH FACING BEACHES… WITH LOCALLY HIGHER SETS IN FAVORED LOCATIONS. RIP CURRENT POTENTIAL WILL BE HIGH DURING THIS SOUTH SWELL EVENT.

IN ADDITION TO THE HIGH SURF… THERE WILL BE ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES EACH AFTERNOON AND NIGHT FROM THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A 6.6 FOOT HIGH TIDE CAN BE EXPECTED AT LOS ANGELES HARBOR AT 1050 PM ON THURSDAY… COINCIDING WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE LONG PERIOD SOUTH SWELL. ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON… A 5.0 FOOT HIGH TIDE IS EXPECTED AT 1210 PM. HEIGHTS OF THE HIGH TIDE WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE THROUGH THE WEEKEND… BUT WILL REMAIN IN THE 5 TO 6 FOOT RANGE. THE COMBINATION OF HIGH SURF AND ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES COULD CAUSE SOME LOCALIZED COASTAL FLOODING ALONG LOW LYING BEACHES OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES… SUCH AS THE LONG BEACH PENINSULA… AND PORTIONS OF MALIBU AND OXNARD SHORES.

More Information

… HIGHER THAN NORMAL SURF EXPECTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS SOUTH FACING BEACHES…

A LONG PERIOD SOUTH-SOUTHWEST SWELL ORIGINATING FROM THE CENTRAL SOUTH PACIFIC WILL BEGIN TO ARRIVE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON… BUILD THURSDAY NIGHT… THEN PEAK FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. INITIALLY… SOME LONG PERIOD SWELL OF AROUND 20 SECONDS IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING… THEN WAVE PERIODS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 15 TO 18 SECOND RANGE BY FRIDAY.