NWS Forecast Office San Francisco, CA

The first large northwest swell of the season will impact the coastal waters and beaches this week. Forerunners will arrive today with a slight increased risk for sneaker waves. Swell will increase on Thursday and continue to build into Thursday night and Friday. A High Surf Advisory has therefore been issued for the coastline along Sonoma County and down through Monterey County from 12 PM Thursday to 9 PM Friday. Northwest facing beaches will see the largest waves, but south and southwest facing beaches will also experience larger waves as the swell wraps into these areas. Since this is an early season swell, waves will run farther up the beach than is typical and will break closer to shore. Beachgoers should use extreme caution if traveling to the beach this week. Never turn your back on the ocean!