Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Multiple National Weather Service (NWS) offices along the U.S. West Coast have issued weather alerts warning of dangerous ocean conditions caused by a strong offshore storm.Why It MattersAs of Thursday morning, myriad weather alerts have been issued along the West Coast, including a storm warning, a high surf warning, a hazardous seas warning, a beach hazards statement, and a small craft advisory, among others.The tumultuous ocean conditions come as a “large Pacific cyclone” begins to impact the Pacific Northwest, an NWS forecast said.What To KnowOn Oregon’s coast, breaking waves could reach up to 32 feet, prompting a high surf warning to be issued by the NWS office in Medford. The warning goes into effect late Thursday morning and will remain in place until late Friday morning.NWS senior meteorologist Brian Nieuwenhuis told Newsweek that the waves are resulting from an offshore storm equipped with storm-force winds.”This is not a tropical system, not a hurricane, but it has strengthened enough so the winds are as strong as a tropical storm,” he said.
A stock image of waves breaking in Monterey Bay, California.
A stock image of waves breaking in Monterey Bay, California.
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These strong storms typically hit in the winter months, Nieuwenhuis said, but it’s not uncommon for them to impact the region during the spring.In parts of Central and Southern California, beachgoers were warned of strong rip currents. Rip currents are “powerful, channeled currents” that can move faster than an Olympic swimmer, the NWS said. If caught in a rip current, swimmers are advised to stay calm and swim parallel to the shore until they escape the current. Then, they can angle back and swim to shore.Hazardous seas also prompted NWS meteorologists to issue a small craft advisory warning inexperienced mariners, especially those in small vessels, against venturing out into the ocean.What People Are SayingNWS office in Medford, Oregon, in a high surf warning: “Extremely large breaking waves will create very hazardous conditions along beaches and area shorelines. Waves will inundate beaches and surge into normally dry areas. Infrastructure damage and significant beach erosion can be expected.”The warning added: “Beaches and coastlines will become hazardous due to very large and life-threatening surf conditions. Stay off of beaches, rocks, jetties, piers, and other waterside infrastructure.”An NWS forecast issued on Thursday morning: “Across the Pacific Northwest, rain and embedded strong thunderstorms ahead of a large Pacific cyclone have already been impacting western Washington into western Oregon early this morning. Periods of moderate to heavy rain together with windy conditions will persist for these areas as well as down into northern California for the next couple of days.”What Happens NextMost warnings and advisories regarding the dangerous ocean conditions will go into effect on Thursday. Some will remain in place into the weekend, depending on the location.
