Special Marine Warning Issued for Southern California Inner Waters Including Los Angeles and Newport Harbors

Source: NOAA · Southern California Coast

This alert is no longer in effect.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 Southern California coastal waters due to potential waterspouts, small hail, and 40-knot wind gusts.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

Record type
Special Marine Warning
Affected area
Southern California Coast
Issued
April 6, 2026
Issuing authority
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

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 Coast.

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard CA has issued a Special Marine Warning for the inner waters of the Southern California coast. This alert was triggered by radar indicating a strong storm capable of producing hazardous marine conditions.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA, including:

  • Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands
  • Dana Point
  • Newport Harbor
  • Los Angeles Harbor
  • Port of Los Angeles

What You Should Do

Mariners and residents in the affected coastal areas are advised to avoid the warning zone. Waterspouts can easily overturn boats and create locally hazardous seas. Small craft should seek safe harbor immediately as they could be damaged by briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves.

Expected Conditions

According to the NWS, the following hazards are present:

  • Waterspouts: Possible detection via radar.
  • Wind: Gusts up to 40 knots.
  • Hail: Small hail is expected within the storm cells.
  • Storm Movement: At 4:03 PM PST, a strong storm was located just off the coast of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, moving east at 20 knots. Additional strong storms are expected off the coast of Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Timeline

The warning is effective immediately as of 4:05 PM PST on February 16, 2026, and is currently scheduled to expire at 5:00 PM PST.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
The National Weather Service has issued an immediate Special Marine Warning for Southern California coastal waters due to potential waterspouts, small hail, and 40-knot wind gusts.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Southern California Coast. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.