Washington, DC – The National Weather Service Ocean Prediction Center has issued widespread Gale Warnings covering the offshore waters from Oregon to Central California, where dangerous marine conditions are expected to develop late Wednesday, November 12, and persist into Thursday, November 13.
According to the forecast, southerly winds will strengthen to 35–45 knots overnight Wednesday, with seas building between 15 and 22 feet across offshore zones from Florence, Oregon, to Pigeon Point, California. The strongest conditions are expected Wednesday night through Thursday morning, accompanied by periods of rain and low visibility.
Wave heights are forecast to peak near 20 feet west of Cape Mendocino and Point Arena, before gradually subsiding late Thursday. Mariners in these offshore zones — between 60 and 250 nautical miles from shore — are urged to remain in port or seek safe harbor until the system moves east.
Conditions are expected to improve slowly through Friday, though residual seas between 9 and 14 feet will likely persist into the weekend.
The NWS warns that individual waves may exceed twice the reported significant wave height, posing a severe threat to smaller or unsecured vessels.
