Rain to End but High Surf Will Pound County Coast

Surf as high as 12 feet is expected to pound San Diego beaches today, offering a spectacular show along the coastline under partly cloudy skies, National Weather Service forecasters said Monday.

Rain was predicted to end today, and a surf advisory issued at noon Monday will be in effect until noon Wednesday along the San Diego County coast. Although waves will reach 6 to 12 feet, tides will not be high and the waves are not expected to cause damage.

“We want people to use caution near the coast with the big waves, but we don’t expect any damage,” forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said. High tide will be 5.1 feet at noon today.

The waves, generated by an intense storm in the Gulf of Alaska, are just now reaching San Diego, Shigehara said.

The storm, which remained centered in the gulf Monday, sent clouds to San Diego on Sunday, followed by light rain on Monday and a swelling surf Monday night. By 8 p.m. Monday 0.38 of an inch of rain had fallen at Lindbergh Field, raising the seasonal rainfall total to 5.79 inches.

Partly cloudy skies are expected today and Wednesday. Another mild storm may arrive at the end of the week, forecasters said, but only small amounts of rain are expected. Ocean breezes will average 8 m.p.h. to 15 m.p.h. Temperatures today and Wednesday along the coast and inland are expected to be in the 60s, with nighttime lows in the 50s along the coast and in the high 40s inland.