This Week: Sneaker Waves South Oregon Coast, Sunny, near 70 and Storm Waves Later

Published 10/15/23 at 6:12 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Bandon, Oregon) – There is a beach hazards statement for the south Oregon coast currently in effect until later today (Sunday) and more sneaker wave situations are coming later in the week, but there's also some sunny and warm days in the wings. If you're looking for storm action and sunny weather on the beaches, you'll be in luck. There's good reasons to play hooky from work. (Above: Shore Acres, courtesy Manuela Durson Fine Arts)

The entire coastline gets at least a couple days of warm weather around 70, but some areas get more.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a beach hazards hazards statement for Sunday, with large waves in store for the entire south Oregon coast, from Douglas County down through Coos and Curry counties. This is for Reedsport, Coos Bay, Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings.

Expect an increase in sneaker waves, making many beaches on the south coast dangerous, especially the smaller ones with no close access to run to. Areas with cliffs behind them instead of foredunes leading to higher ground will be a bad idea.

“Waves can run up significantly farther on a beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties,” the NWS said. “These sneaker waves can suddenly knock people off of their feet and quickly pull them into the cold ocean waters, resulting in serious injury or death.

Courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast

Areas north of Florence are not going to be affected, and will remain safe throughout the week.

More steep seas are expected offshore from the south Oregon coast on Monday, however, leading to some warnings for mariners but not beachgoers.

Yet another set of high wave conditions are coming for the south coast later in the week, however, oddly coinciding with some sunny skies and near-balmy conditions. Wednesday and Thursday look like they will bring more big waves to the southern coast.

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“Another high period swell train will move onshore later on Wednesday into Thursday and will bring at least a moderate risk,” the NWS said. “The risk with this event will be higher than the one Sunday because there should be less interference between the two swell trains present.”

Bandon, courtesy Gleneda Borton

Yet for the south coast and north coast, pleasant sunny skies are in store for later in the week. After a cold spell and bouts of rain, the entire Oregon coast gets around 70 degrees Wednesday and Thursday, and lots of sunny skies. This happens well into the south Washington coast as well as Seaside, Cannon Beach or Lincoln City. However, Long Beach through Westport will see temps a little cooler on those days.

For the south coast, there's a good, long run of sunny weather starting Tuesday and going through Friday, with temps closer to 70 – except for Gold Beach and Brookings which will end up closer to the mid 70s.

Saturday is another turnaround day for all of the Oregon coast and Washington coast, heading back into colder, wetter weather. Only Wednesday and Thursday promise clearer skies for the coastal regions north of Florence, but the surrounding days are so far predicted to not be crummy.

This translates to sunny skies and warm temps for storm wave conditions on the southern coast, which is a rather oddball but delightful dichotomy.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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