Back-to-back storms off the Pacific Ocean will bring rain and snow to Southern California this week, along with the potential for another round of big waves.
The swells that closed beaches and piers up and down the California shore eased up over the weekend, but high surf advisories remained in place in several counties as officials warned the public to avoid swimming or walking on rocks near the beach.
Public health officials in Los Angeles County also issued a warning about high levels of bacteria from storm runoff at some local beaches, including parts of Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice and Redondo Beach.
The Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard saw 12-foot waves on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The area was pounded last week by waves, including large swells in Ventura that injured several onlookers who had to scramble to safety after ocean water surged over barriers and into the streets.
In the town of Capitola in Santa Cruz County, several seaside restaurants were damaged Thursday when the rising waters swept in. It’s the second time in less than a year that Capitola has been damaged by flooding. In January, large waves and high tides destroyed parts of the town’s wharf.
The waves are “trending down, it will continue to trend down through Tuesday,” said Ryan Kittell, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard.
At the popular surfing break known as Mavericks near Half Moon Bay, the waves were smaller Sunday after swells that reached highs of 30 feet last week, according to the National Weather Service.
“We’re coming down pretty good,” said weather service meteorologist Dalton Behringer, who noted that waves from Sonoma County to Monterey County were about 10 to 11 feet Sunday.
Rain is expected in Southern California and the Central Coast, with scattered showers arriving by Sunday afternoon and widespread rain arriving Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Also, people headed to the Rose Parade in Pasadena on Monday may want to pack a raincoat or umbrella in case of possible showers. It is expected to be partly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain in the morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow will fall later in the week, with mountain areas above 5,000 feet in L.A. and Ventura counties expected to get 4 to 8 inches , according to the weather service.
The weather could impact traffic. Lower elevations, including the Grapevine area along Interstate 5, could see an inch or 2 of snow, Kittell said.
Another round of big waves in L.A. and Ventura counties could start Jan. 7, Kittell said.
