Special Marine Warning for Southern California Coastal Waters: Waterspouts and 50-Knot Gusts Possible
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard has issued a Special Marine Warning for coastal waters from Point Piedras Blancas to San Clemente Island until 10:00 PM PST tonight.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Southern California Coastal Waters
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Southern California Coastal Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard CA has issued a Special Marine Warning (SMWLOX) for several coastal and outer water zones. The alert was issued at 8:01 PM PST on February 17, 2026, following radar detection of severe thunderstorms.
Affected Areas
The warning covers a broad area of the California coast and offshore waters, including:
- East Santa Barbara Channel from Pt. Conception to Pt. Mugu, including Santa Cruz Island.
- Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island (up to 60 NM offshore), including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands.
- Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal (0 to 60 NM offshore).
- Waters from Pt. Sal to Santa Cruz Island, including San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands.
Specific locations impacted include Point Arguello, Point Conception, Point Sal, San Miguel Island, and Santa Rosa Island.
What You Should Do
Mariners are advised to move to safe harbor immediately until the hazardous weather conditions pass. Small craft are especially vulnerable and should avoid the warning area to prevent capsizing.
Expected Conditions
At 8:00 PM PST, radar indicated severe thunderstorms located along a line extending from 8 nm southeast of Pismo Beach to 59 nm southwest of Point Arguello, moving southeast at 20 knots. Primary hazards include:
- Waterspouts: Capable of easily overturning boats and creating hazardous seas.
- Wind: Gusts in excess of 50 knots, which can cause significant structural damage to vessels.
- Seas: Suddenly higher waves and locally hazardous conditions.
Timeline
The warning is effective immediately as of 8:01 PM PST and is scheduled to expire at 10:00 PM PST on February 17, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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