The Eureka office of the National Weather Service is warning of a high risk of sneaker waves Saturday due to a long-period westerly swell of around 6 to 9 feet, with a hazardous beach statement in effect from late tonight through Saturday night.
Sneaker waves are large powerful waves that can appear suddenly after a long period of relative calm.
“Conditions will be hazardous for beachgoers on Saturday,” a NWS post states. “Don’t be fooled by an ocean that looks calm. There can be 30 minutes of small waves before a sneaker waves strikes without warning, sweeping people into the sea from rock, jetties, and beaches. Stay farther back from the water and never turn your back on the ocean.”
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I just spent 10 minutes trying to find any link that would offer insight into how sneaker wave days are predicted and found zilch. Does anyone know what sea or weather conditions are used to predict that sneaker waves are more likely on certain days? The closest I came was that the Continental Shelf along the West Coast is more likely to produce them, but I imagine that the Continental Shelf is pretty much the same day in and day out. At least I hope so.