Special Marine Warning Issued for Southern California Coastal Waters Through Monday Morning

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard CA has issued a Special Marine Warning for multiple maritime zones off the coast of Southern and Central California. The alert was triggered by radar-indicated showers capable of producing hazardous conditions.

Affected Areas

The warning covers a broad range of coastal and outer 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.
• Central Coast Waters: Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal, extending from the shoreline out to 60 NM.
• Channel Islands Region: Waters from Pt. Sal to Santa Cruz Island, including San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands.

Specific land-adjacent locations impacted include Point Arguello, Point Conception, Point Sal, Morro Bay, Cambria, and San Miguel Island.

What You Should Do

Mariners are advised to take the following precautions:

• Report any sightings of severe weather or waterspouts to the Coast Guard or the National Weather Service.
• Small craft should exercise extreme caution or seek safe harbor, as briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves can cause significant damage.

Expected Conditions

As of 5:12 AM PST, radar tracked a line of showers capable of producing waterspouts. This line extended from 14 nm southwest of Point Piedras Blancas to 40 nm southwest of San Miguel Island, moving north to northeast at 35 knots.

• Hazards: Waterspouts and wind gusts reaching nearly 50 knots.
• Impacts: Waterspouts can create locally hazardous seas. Small craft could be damaged by sudden wind increases and rapidly building waves.

Timeline

The Special Marine Warning is effective immediately as of 5:13 AM PST and is currently set to expire at 7:15 AM PST on Monday, February 16, 2026.