Special Marine Warning Issued for Central 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This alert is no longer in effect.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.
The National Weather Service has issued an immediate Special Marine Warning for coastal waters from Point Piedras Blancas to Santa Cruz Island due to severe thunderstorms.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Central 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 Central California Coastal Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard CA has issued a Special Marine Warning (SMWLOX) for several coastal zones. The alert was issued following radar detection of severe thunderstorms capable of producing hazardous maritime conditions.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following maritime regions:
- Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal westward out to 10 NM
- Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal from 10 to 60 NM
- Waters from Pt. Sal to Santa Cruz Island CA and westward 60 NM, including San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands
Specific land-adjacent locations impacted by this system include Point Sal, Cambria, and Morro Bay.
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to move to safe harbor immediately until the hazardous weather passes. Waterspouts can easily overturn boats and create locally hazardous seas. Small craft are at risk of damage from briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves. Avoid these waters until the warning has expired.
Expected Conditions
At 11:13 AM PST, radar indicated severe thunderstorms located along a line extending from Cambria to 20 nautical miles west of Point Sal. The storm system is moving east at 20 knots.
Key hazards identified by the National Weather Service include:
- Waterspouts: Possible detection via radar; capable of overturning vessels.
- Wind: Gusts reaching nearly 50 knots.
- Seas: Suddenly higher waves and turbulent conditions.
Timeline
The alert became effective at 11:14 AM PST on February 16, 2026. The Special Marine Warning is currently scheduled to expire at 11:45 AM PST on February 16, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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