While they likely won’t hit the 16-footers originally forecasted, surfers will still have plenty to ride.
Hey, we know, it's a local break, but still, how can you figure out how to see the big waves in San Diego created by this week's bomb cyclone hitting the West Coast?
Before getting into it too deep, let's post a caveat: San Diego Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Mónica Muñoz urged locals to use avoid the coast, if possible.
"We expect high surf and very high tides, which may cause some flooding on the boardwalk and in other areas of the beach and bay," Muñoz stated. "High surf conditions are not for inexperienced surfers and/or swimmers. If you don't have a lot of experience in the ocean, a day when we have high surf is not the day to go swimming or surfing."
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Before you stay home, though, you may want to know that things have … contracted. Initial reports from the National Weather Service forecasted waves up to 16 feet on San Diego County shorelines, but that's turning out to be … "hyperbole" might be a good word.
As of Thursday, NBC 7's Brooke Martell was forecasting the following:
Weather
Imperial State Beach
9-10 feet 2 p.m. Thursday through 9 a.m. Friday.
Highest waves from 2-3 p.m. Thursday
Ocean Beach
9-10 feet from 2 p.m. Thursday- 2 p.m. Friday.
Highest waves from 10 p.m. Thursday till 9 a.m. Friday.
South Mission Beach
9-10 feet from 2 p.m. Thurs.-10 a.m. Fri.
Highest waves from 11 p.m. Thursday till 8 a.m. Friday
La Jolla Cove
9-10 feet from 2 p.m. Thursday till 5 p.m. Friday.
Highest waves from 2-3 p.m. Thursday.
Encinitas/Leucadia:
8-9 feet from 2 p.m. Thursday till 11 a.m. Friday
Highest waves from 2 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday
Oceanside Pier:
7ft.-10 feet from 2 p.m. Thursday till 8 a.m. Friday
Highest waves: 2-3 p.m. Thursday
High surf warnings are in effect in San Diego coastal areas beginning at noon Thursday, and continuing until 6 p.m. Friday, and a coastal flood advisory is in effect from noon Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday.
Municipal workers were preparing for potential flooding from a storm surge. Del Mar Lifeguard Chief Jon Edelbrock said the winds, waves and tides could create the perfect combination for damage to the already-fragile bluffs. A team, including members of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will be monitoring the area using a radar system during the storm.
"It's been a number of years since we've had as significant as a surf advisory," Edelbrock said. "I believe it's been five or six years — like, 2017. The last time we saw kind of a series of swells coming through with this type of size and energy coupled with the rain and the coincidence with our spring high tides."
With the rain, health officials again warned people to avoid entering ocean water near discharging storm drains or rivers due to possible bacterial infection. Health officials noted that stormwater runoff that reaches the ocean can carry bacteria, chemicals, debris trash and other health hazards. People who come in contact with impacted water in the ocean could become ill, health officials said.
San Diegans can expect to start drying out on Friday and Saturday, according to NBC 7's Sheena Parveen, who added that, so far, there is only a slight shower chance for Sunday.
The City News Service contributed to this report — Ed.
