Gale Warning off the coast of Southern California

[watersofdiego]

Wow you don't see this too often. I thought Southern California was suppossed to have the best sailing weather of anywhere......

NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, CA

Zone Forecast:Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 nm offshore including San Nicolas Island (PZZ676)

Hazardous marine condition(s):

Gale Warning

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT......

Synopsis...AT 15Z...OR 8 AM PDT...A 1031 MB HIGH WAS LOCATED 1100 NM W OF EUREKA CALIFORNIA AND A 999 MB LOW WAS LOCATED NEAR LAS VEGAS. THIS PATTERN WILL PERSIST FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS AND ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...THEN BEGIN TO WEAKEN SLIGHTLY AS THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WEAKENS.

Today: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt. Strongest winds NW of san nicolas island. Combined seas 8 to 11 ft dominant period 14 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning.

Tonight: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt. Strongest winds NW of san nicolas island. Combined seas 9 to 12 ft dominant period 10 seconds.

Thu: NW winds 15 to 25 kt with local gusts to 35 kt NW of san nicolas island...otherwise NW winds 5 to 15 kt with local gusts to 20 kt. Combined seas 7 to 9 ft dominant period 11 seconds.

Thu Night: NW winds 15 to 25 kt with local gusts to 30 kt. Strongest NW of san nicolas island. Combined seas 7 to 9 ft dominant period 11 seconds.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...=188&map.y=179

[zeehag]

you think kali has best weather anywhere---what have i been saying all these years..rodlmao---

hunker down folks and hold fast.

sounds lie a santana, often mistakenly called santa anas.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by zeehag

you think kali has best weather anywhere---what have i been saying all these years..rodlmao---

hunker down folks and hold fast.

sounds lie a santana, often mistakenly called santa anas.

Errr, Zee, are not most Santa Anas (or whatever you authoritatively want to call them) Easterlies, not NWlies?

But really, 20-30,gusting 40 isn't the end of the world... in fact, quite common in many popular sailing areas.

Jim

[carstenb]

We get thisd kind of weather all the time up here. 20-30 knots, gusting 40? 3-4 meter waves?

sorry - nothing unusual or frightening there. just sailed 132 NM in conditions worse than that a couple of weeks ago.

Originally Posted by watersofdiego

Wow you don't see this too often. I thought Southern California was suppossed to have the best sailing weather of anywhere......

NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, CA

Zone Forecast:Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 nm offshore including San Nicolas Island (PZZ676)

Hazardous marine condition(s):

Gale Warning

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT......

Synopsis...AT 15Z...OR 8 AM PDT...A 1031 MB HIGH WAS LOCATED 1100 NM W OF EUREKA CALIFORNIA AND A 999 MB LOW WAS LOCATED NEAR LAS VEGAS. THIS PATTERN WILL PERSIST FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS AND ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...THEN BEGIN TO WEAKEN SLIGHTLY AS THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WEAKENS.

Today: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt. Strongest winds NW of san nicolas island. Combined seas 8 to 11 ft dominant period 14 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning.

Tonight: NW winds 20 to 30 kt with gusts to 40 kt. Strongest winds NW of san nicolas island. Combined seas 9 to 12 ft dominant period 10 seconds.

Thu: NW winds 15 to 25 kt with local gusts to 35 kt NW of san nicolas island...otherwise NW winds 5 to 15 kt with local gusts to 20 kt. Combined seas 7 to 9 ft dominant period 11 seconds.

Thu Night: NW winds 15 to 25 kt with local gusts to 30 kt. Strongest NW of san nicolas island. Combined seas 7 to 9 ft dominant period 11 seconds.

Coastal Waters Forecast for Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 nm offshore including San Nicolas Island (PZZ676)

[zeehag]

true jimj-- so it is more potentially challenging as wind is coming from a place that isnt well known for gales at this time of year

[Tayana42]

Gale warnings for Southern California outer waters are quite common outside of Point Conception to San Clemente Island to 60 nm out while inner waters are quite a bit calmer often less than 25 knots at the same time. Of course it is always a good idea to keep an eye on the weather and choose near shore or outside appropriately. But why not take the time to enjoy the Channel Islands including Catalina?

[rcmpegasus]

Just came south last month, only time we saw wind above 25 knots was outside in Southern California. Washington and Oregon were mild. 40+ from astern just north of Channel Islands. Did not know that a Formosa51 could do 12 knots with only a double reefed main up, surfing down a wave.