THE Surf Report

In like a lion, out like a... coyote?

SURF:
JUST when I thought the wet weather was over... we have 2 small storms lined up for next week. But before we get into the details, let's talk about this past week.

Had some on again off again fog/sun while just small SW/NW was on tap. For today, we've got a peaking small NW swell with a touch of SW for waist high waves with inconsistent chest high sets in SD. For the weekend, the NW backs off while the small SW hangs around. Pretty much small waves on tap the next few days with a slight chance of building SW late on Sunday (more on that below).

Tides the next few days are around 1' at sunrise, up to 3' mid-afternoon, and down to 2' at sunset. And water temps are doing their darndest to hold on to the low 60's.

FORECAST:

We've got 1 more day of decent weather which will coincide with a new little SW on Monday for chest high waves. We should also have building NW late in the day Monday that blends in on Tuesday with peaking SW and... a chance of rain/wind- just in time for the 1st day of spring! Wednesday is bumpy as we have head high NW and the cold front exits the region. Thursday at this point looks to be clean with leftover shoulder high NW. Friday is good weather and dying NW in the chest high range.

Then next weekend rolls around and the models show rain again and head high+ NW from the storm. Starting to look a lot like January around here.

Further out, models show a solid NW towards the end of the month and smaller SW. We're still a long ways away, but I'll keep an eye on it for you. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves/weather at Twitter/North County Surf. 

WEATHER:

I think I spilled the beans already- we're due for more rain. First up though is mile weather through Monday with night/morning low clouds/fog. Forecast charts yesterday showed heavy rain/wind for Tuesday/Wednesday but have since backed off slightly. The wild card is if tropical moisture gets pulled into the cold front and increases our rain totals. Regardless, look for wet and breezy conditions Tuesday/Wednesday- just enough to screw up the surf. High pressure builds late in the week for sunny skies and cool weather. Then models show more rain for next weekend. Long story short- next week looks like we're closer to winter than summer.

BEST BET:
Monday with new SW, building NW late in the day, and the last day of clean conditions

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

As a surfer, there’s a few phrases that perk your ears up when mentioned. Like Pineapple Express. Or Aleutian Juice. And the Roaring Forties. Just what exactly are the Roaring Forties though? Back in the day, I knew they were associated with the formation of southern hemisphere swells, but what’s the relationship? Our friends at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can explain:

Sailors call the latitudes between 40 and 50 degrees south of the equator the Roaring Forties. During the Age of Sail (circa 15th to 19th centuries), these strong prevailing winds propelled ships across the Pacific, often at breakneck speed. Nevertheless, sailing west into heavy seas and strong headwinds could take weeks, especially around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America, making it one of the most treacherous sailing passages in the world.

The Roaring Forties take shape as warm air near the equator rises and moves toward the poles. Warm air moving poleward (on both sides of the equator) is the result of nature trying to reduce the temperature difference between the equator and at the poles created by uneven heating from the sun.

This process sets up global circulation cells, which are mainly responsible for global-scale wind patterns. The air descends back to Earth’s surface at about 30 degrees’ latitude north and south of the equator. This is known as the high-pressure subtropical ridge, also known as the horse latitudes. Here, as the temperature gradient decreases, air is deflected toward the poles by the Earth’s rotation, causing strong westerly and prevailing winds at approximately 40 degrees. These winds are the Roaring Forties.

The Roaring Forties in the Northern Hemisphere don’t pack the same punch that they do in the Southern Hemisphere. This is because the large land masses of North America, Europe, and Asia obstruct the airstream, whereas, in the southern hemisphere, there is less land to break the wind in South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

While the Roaring Forties may be fierce, 10 degrees south are even stronger gale-force winds called the Furious Fifties. And 10 degrees south of the Furious Fifties lie the Screaming Sixties! We can thank the intrepid sailors of yore for these wildly descriptive terms. And the Roaring Forties for our good SW swells this spring/summer here in California.

PIC OF THE WEEK:

The Pic of the Week comes to you courtesy of Trent Slatter from deepest darkest south Australia. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water- with the Gold Coast looking all shiny and pretty for the contest in Oz today- along comes Cyclops. A scary name for a scary wave. Like Jaws. Or Ghost Tree. Or Old Man's (due to the guys over 60 that will run you over in the line-up and parking lot).

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Won A Chicken Dinner
Never Owned Sensible Shoes
Top Pick, Fantasy Surfer