Coastal Wave Update-8 PM

Latest Forecast from the National 

Weather Service--

 You don't see the NWS going for 

"Giant Waves" very often. 

 COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
301 PM PST THU NOV 5 2009

...GIANT WAVES TO IMPACT THE WASHINGTON COAST ON FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY...

.A LARGE AND POWERFUL LOW PRESSURE CENTER IN THE GULF OF ALASKA
HAS GENERATED GIANT WAVES WHICH WILL REACH THE WASHINGTON COAST
ON FRIDAY MORNING AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.

WAZ516-517-061215-
/O.NEW.KSEW.SU.W.0001.091106T1800Z-091108T0000Z/
NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-
301 PM PST THU NOV 5 2009

...HIGH SURF WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 4 PM PST
SATURDAY FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTH WASHINGTON COAST...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A HIGH SURF
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 4 PM PST
SATURDAY.

A LONG SERIES OF GIANT WAVES WILL START TO IMPACT THE WASHINGTON
COAST ON FRIDAY MORNING AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.
POWERFUL WAVES OF 25 TO 28 FEET ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE
BEACHES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. THE GIANT WAVES WILL BE SEPARATED
BY ABOUT 15 TO 20 SECONDS OF TIME...SO DO NOT BE LULLED BY PERIOD
BETWEEN WAVES INTO THINKING IT IS SAFE TO VENTURE CLOSE TO THE
WATERS EDGE.

WAVES OF THIS SIZE PUSH LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER ONTO THE COASTLINE
AND INTO HARBORS...COVES AND INLETS. COASTAL INLETS...INCLUDING
GRAYS HARBOR...CAN EXPECT TO SEE TIDE LEVELS RUNNING ABOUT A FOOT
HIGHER THAN TIDE TABLE PREDICTIONS. TIDE TABLES FOR ABERDEEN
PREDICT A HIGH TIDE OF 10.9 FEET AT 245 PM FRIDAY...A HIGH TIDE OF
8.8 FEET AT 441 AM SATURDAY...AND ANOTHER HIGH TIDE OF 10.4 FEET
AT 339 PM SATURDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THESE WAVES ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP UNWARY BEACH WALKERS OUT
TO SEA. PEOPLE CAN BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY DEBRIS...SUCH AS
LOGS...TOSSED ABOUT IN THE WAVES. 

Latest Wavewatch 3 forecasts indicate worst waves on our 

coast will be later tomorrow...check out their graphical 

prediction (this is for 10 PM tomorrow):

Buoy Observations Offshore--Wave Heights are 

rising fast!

These are significant wave height observations at 

buoys on or near the WA coast.