Random Storm Tracking – Doctor I think the NPAC patient has a pulse!

So I have been watching some increasing activity in the North Pacific for the last couple of days…we had a little low spin up under the Aleutians late last week and push in some NW swell for a few spots over the weekend.

Well looks like another storm has brewed up…

Now before you get all excited and start spinning in circles while you are thinking about driving to all of the winter spots within the range of your new hybrid (you hippy). I need to point out that this isn’t a very intense storm. About the only reason I am mentioning it is that the rest of the Pacific Ocean seems to have fallen asleep, and the low is OK considering the time of year.

That being said it does look like it could kick out a mini WNW swell for us later this week.

Here is the current QuikSCAT (that one was for you…Scott you sick puppy. I think the Iraqi sun has gotten to you) pic of the storm as it pulls together on the edge of the Gulf of Alaska.



Here is the Visible NOAA satellite image. You can see the fairly tight rotation in the low…it is very well developed for a summertime NPAC storm.




From a swell perspective I am expecting some new WNW swell (290-300) to move in late on Wednesday (basically just after sundown in Santa Barbara and Ventura)…but show best on Thursday the 21st.

At this point I am looking for surf in the knee-waist high range at the average WNW facing areas with some bigger chest-chest high+ sets at the standout NW facing areas, mostly in Ventura, the South Bay, and San Diego.

It isn’t going to be much of swell, it will feel a lot like a punchy windswell, but considering that we haven’t had much of anything from this region since the winter season closed up shop I guess it is ok to look forward to.

Anyway that is about all I go at this point…check back tomorrow and I will dial it in a bit more.