San Diego Coast Faces Another Day of High Tides and Waves as TS Rachel Exits
San Diego County coasts face another day of pounding waves and high tides as Tropical Storm Rachel exits the region. The National Weather Service maintains a coastal flood advisory through Tuesday afternoon, pointing to peak high tides between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. as the primary driver of ongoing coastal inundation.
High Tides and Swells Cause Severe Shoreline Impacts
The first major storm of the rainy season brought significant moisture to the area starting Saturday. Rainfall totals reached 1.04 inches at San Diego International Airport and 1.93 inches in Carlsbad.
Despite the receding rain, the combination of high astronomical tides and large swells generated by Tropical Storm Rachel created severe impacts along the shoreline. National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Steward noted that the actual sea heights exceeded initial forecasts, catching forecasters off guard.
“We knew this was coming, but I was taken aback a little bit by the seas being higher than predicted. That kind of shocked me when I saw that,” Steward said.
El Niño Patterns and Future Forecasts
Meteorologists attribute the heavy surf and wet conditions to an emerging El Niño weather pattern characterized by warm sea surface temperatures. This atmospheric setup suggests a wetter-than-average winter ahead for Southern California.
Scattered showers will likely persist through Tuesday morning before dry air takes over. Following the moisture, gusty Santa Ana winds will sweep across the county later in the week, pushing coastal temperatures into the upper 80s and low 90s. Forecasters indicate that another cool-down and potential storm system could arrive the following week.