Storm Kicks Up 10-Foot Waves on Southland Beaches

High pressure over Utah sent temperatures spiraling upward and Southern Californians scampering for the beaches Thursday, while a storm in the Antarctic generated 10- to 12-foot surf that sent some of them scampering inland again.

And the National Weather Service said both conditions will be around for most of the weekend.

“We had more people on the beach and in the water than usual today because of the heat,” Huntington State Beach lifeguard Tom Wickes said. “But these people aren’t Hawaiians, and most of the surfers and swimmers had sense enough to get out of the way when the sets began running above eight feet.”

The Weather Service warned that these breakers, spawned by an intense storm system centered on the Antarctic shelf, would keep slamming south-facing beaches for the next day or two and urged coastal property owners in exposed areas to protect structures, especially at high tide, which will occur at midday today and Saturday. West-facing beaches and those in the surf “shadow” of offshore islands should experience only minor increases in surf size.

It is also dangerous, the Weather Service said, to fish or even to watch the waves from rocks while high surf conditions continue, because “very large waves can suddenly sweep across previously dry areas.”

A small-craft advisory for five- to six-foot breakers was in effect for the entrance to Oceanside Harbor throughout the day Thursday, and yachtsmen were warned to avoid any close shoreline approach until these seas subside.

Meanwhile, a flow of hot air from the deserts elbowed its way into Southern California, sending the mercury to 99 degrees at Los Angeles Civic Center Thursday, with relative humidity ranging from 41% overnight to 16% by late afternoon. Forecasters predicted only a minor cooling trend during the rest of the weekend, while skies were expected to remain clear and sunny.

San Diego’s Lindbergh Field had a record 98 degrees; the old mark for Oct. 3 was 94, set in 1953. The 98 degrees was also the highest temperature of the year in San Diego; the previous top was 96 degrees, reached on June 30.

Weekend visitors to the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains can look for clear nights and sunny days turning a bit cloudy each afternoon, with highs in the upper 70s. There was also a possibility of a few brief thundershowers Saturday, the forecasters said.

Those who venture into the Sierra can prepare for overnight lows near freezing, with westerly winds gusting to 30 m.p.h. and a slight chance of showers by Sunday.

Deserts were expected to remain hot and dry most of the time, with the chance of a thunderstorm or two late Saturday, the Weather Service said. High desert temperatures were expected to reach the mid-90s, while low deserts should be in the 100-degree range each afternoon.

A cooling trend with a strong possibility of thundershowers was scheduled to develop by Sunday in Arizona, with some wind expected in the mountains and deserts and desert temperatures reaching the 90s as clouds gather.

A cooling trend was also predicted for the Las Vegas area, but skies there were expected to remain clear through the weekend, with temperatures in the low 90s.

Patchy morning fog will give way to sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s in San Francisco, the Weather Service said.