Special Marine Warning Issued for Southern California Inner Waters; Waterspouts and 50-Knot Gusts Possible

Source: NOAA · Southern California Coastal Waters

This alert is no longer in effect.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.

A Special Marine Warning is in effect for Southern California inner waters until 1:00 PM PST due to severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts and 50-knot wind gusts.

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 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 Coastal Waters.

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard CA has issued a Special Marine Warning for the Southern California coast. This alert is effective immediately following radar detection of severe weather conditions over the inner waters.

Affected Areas

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

  • Santa Catalina Island
  • Anacapa Island
  • Dana Point
  • Newport Harbor
  • Alamitos Bay
  • Port of Los Angeles

What You Should Do

Mariners and individuals in the affected areas are advised to move to safe harbor immediately. You should remain in a secure location until the hazardous weather conditions have passed. Waterspouts can easily overturn boats and create locally hazardous seas, while high winds can cause significant structural damage to vessels. Small craft are at particular risk of capsizing in suddenly higher waves.

Expected Conditions

At 11:30 AM PST, radar indicated severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts. These storms were located along a line extending from 8 nautical miles south of the Port of Los Angeles to 28 nautical miles southeast of Avalon, moving east at 30 knots.

Primary hazards include:

  • Wind: Gusts in excess of 50 knots.
  • Waterspouts: Potential for waterspout development which can create dangerous sea conditions.

Timeline

The alert was issued at 11:31 AM PST on February 16, 2026. The warning is currently scheduled to expire at 1:00 PM PST on February 16, 2026.

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?
A Special Marine Warning is in effect for Southern California inner waters until 1:00 PM PST due to severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts and 50-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 Coastal Waters. 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.