High SurfCalifornia coast: surf warnings, buoys & Highway 1
On the California coast the National Weather Service has 1 coastal flood advisory. 2 beach hazards / rip current statements cover San Diego County Coastal Areas, Orange County Coastal and Ventura County Beaches. The biggest waves on the buoys: 8 ft every 14 s at Monterey. Caltrans reports 0 full closures and 12 other restrictions on Highway 1.
Tap a buoy for wave height and period, or a colored coast zone for its alert.
Colored coast zones are the official NWS zones named in each alert. Buoy labels are the latest significant wave height in feet (NDBC). Our map, their data.
Coastal alerts
Every NWS surf, coastal flood, beach and tsunami alert on the California coast, by office. Headlines quoted as issued.
NWS San Francisco Bay Area
- Coastal Flood Advisoryin effect until Wed 4:00 PM PDT
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PDT WEDNESDAY
North Bay Interior Valleys
NWS San Diego
- Beach Hazards Statementin effect until Thu 2:00 PM PDT
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
San Diego County Coastal Areas; Orange County Coastal
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard
- Beach Hazards Statementin effect until Thu 2:00 PM PDT
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
Ventura County Beaches; Malibu Coast; Los Angeles County Beaches
Waves on the buoys
Latest reading of each California buoy.
Significant wave height (the average of the highest third of the waves) and dominant period, latest NDBC reading of each station, north to south. Some of these buoys are run by Scripps CDIP and distributed by NDBC. Feet converted by us. NDBC
Highway 1 (PCH) right now
Closures and restrictions on State Route 1, from Caltrans.
Southern California
- Southbound traffic is reduced to 1 lane from Irvine Cove to Reef Point Dr /in Laguna Beach/ (Orange Co) - Due to emergency work
Central California
- 1-way controlled traffic at Mud Creek (Monterey Co) from 0630 hrs to 1200 hrs Monday thru Friday thru 11/13/26 - Due to emergency work
- 1-way controlled traffic 15.7 mi south of Monterey /at Rocky Creek Bridge/ (Monterey Co) 24 hrs a day 7 days a week thru 0600 hrs on 11/30/26 - Due to construction
- 1-way controlled traffic from Sir Francis Drake Blvd to B street /in Marin/ (Marin Co) 24 hours a day 7 days a week thru 1700 hrs on 10/16/26 - Due to construction
- 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from 1 mi south of the Jct of SR 166 /at Brown Rd/ to the Jct of SR 166 (Santa Barbara Co) from 0800 to 1600 hrs Monday thru Friday thru 10/16/26 - Due to construction
- Southbound traffic is reduced to 1 lane at Ocean Ave /in Carmel-By-The-Sea/ (Monterey Co) from 2000 hrs on 10/13/26 to 0500 hrs on 10/14/26 - Due to maintenance
Northern California
- 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from Old State Hwy Rd to Westward Ho Rd /in Gualala/ (Mendocino Co) 24 hrs a day 7 days a week thru 10/30/26 - Due to maintenance
- 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from from 8.1 mi south to 4.9 mi south of Point Arena /at Iverson Rd/ (Mendocino Co) from 0700 hrs to 1800 hrs Monday thru Friday thru 10/16/26 - Due to construction
- 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from 14.8 mi north to 16.5 mi north of Point Arena (Mendocino Co) - Due to a rock slide - Motorists are subject to delays of up to 10 minutes
- 1-way controlled traffic 5.7 mi south of the east Jct of SR 128 (Mendocino Co) from 0800 hrs to 2000 hrs Monday thru Friday thru 10/16/26 - Due to construction
- 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from 3.5 mi south to 0.7 mi south of the east Jct of SR 128 /at Cameron Rd/ (Mendocino Co) from 0800 hrs to 2000 hrs Monday thru Friday thru 10/16/26 - Due to construction
- 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from Westport Cemetery to Wages Creek Rd /in Westport/ (Mendocino Co) 24 hrs a day 7 days a week thru 2300 hrs on 12/31/26 - Due to emergency repairs - Motorists are subject to delays of up to 10 minutes
Caltrans Highway Information Network for State Route 1, quoted as published (latest reported as of Wednesday, October 14th, 2026 at 10:07 AM). Full closures are highlighted. roads.dot.ca.gov · Caltrans QuickMap
The El Niño backdrop
Strong El Niño winters tend to bring bigger storms and surf to the California coast. This is NOAA’s latest word on it.
El Niño continues to strengthen, with a strong-to-very strong El Niño likely through January-March 2027 (remaining greater than an 83% chance).
ENSO Alert System Status and Synopsis from the Climate Prediction Center’s monthly ENSO diagnostic discussion, quoted as published. CPC ENSO discussion
What the alerts mean
- High Surf WarningA High Surf Warning is issued when breaking wave action results in an especially heightened threat to life and property within the surf zone. High surf criteria vary by region.
- High Surf AdvisoryA High Surf Advisory is issued when breaking wave action poses a threat to life and property within the surf zone. High surf criteria vary by region.
- Coastal Flood WarningFlooding that will pose a serious threat to life and property is occurring, imminent or highly likely.
- Coastal Flood WatchFlooding with significant impacts is possible.
- Coastal Flood AdvisoryMinor flooding is possible (i.e., over and above normal high tide levels).
Definitions quoted from the NWS glossary. NWS glossary
California right now
Quick questions
Is there a High Surf Warning in California right now?
No. As of Oct 14, 10:07 AM PDT there was no High Surf Warning on the California coast.
What is the difference between a High Surf Warning and a High Surf Advisory?
Both are about breaking waves in the surf zone. An advisory means they pose a threat to life and property; a warning means an especially heightened threat. The wave heights that trigger each one vary by region.
Is Highway 1 (PCH) closed?
As of the latest Caltrans report (Wednesday, October 14th, 2026 at 10:07 AM), Highway 1 had 0 full closures and 12 other restrictions (one-way traffic, lane closures). Call 1-800-427-7623 or check Caltrans QuickMap before you drive.
How big are the waves right now?
The highest reading among 19 California buoys was 8 ft (2.3 m) at Monterey, with a 14-second period. Offshore buoy heights are not breaking-wave heights at the beach.
Where does this data come from?
NWS alerts from api.weather.gov, buoys from NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center, Highway 1 from the Caltrans Highway Information Network and El Niño from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Rebuilt every 30 minutes.