The United States Coast Guard captain of the port has closed the entrance to Humboldt Bay due to high surf, the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Service wrote in a Tweet this afternoon.

The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning this morning, in effect until 10 p.m., predicting waves up to 32 feet along the local coastline, especially on west and north west facing beaches.

โ€œLarge breaking waves along the coast will lead to increased wave run-up on beaches with waves topping and washing over large rocks and jetties. These large waves can be erratic and unpredictable,โ€ the weather service warning states. โ€œUse extra caution near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water.โ€

The warning also urged mariners looking to cross the bar to โ€œexercise extreme caution especially during max ebb,โ€ which was expected to take place between noon and 6 p.m. today. People are warned not to go down to the jetties to watch or photograph the high surf.

Kimberly Wear is the assistant editor of the North Coast Journal.

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