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BUOY ROUNDUP
On Thursday, August 29, 2019 :

• Buoy 233 (Pearl Harbor Entrance)/Buoy 239 (Lanai) Seas were 3.2 ft @ 16.7 secs with swell 1.3 ft @ 17.0 secs from 212 degrees.
• Buoy 106 (Waimea): Seas were 2.0 ft @ 7.7 secs with swell 1.3 ft @ 7.8 secs from 21 degrees.
• Buoy 46025 (Catalina RDG): Seas were 2.7 ft @ 5.6 secs with swell 0.8 ft @ 15.5 secs from 278 degrees. Wind at the buoy was northwest at 6-8 kts. Water temperature 70.3 degs (46086). At Harvest Buoy (071) primary swell was 1.5 ft @ 9.9 secs from 272 degrees. At Santa Monica (028) swell was 0.7 ft @ 16.1 secs from 203 degrees. At Oceanside (045) swell was 0.7 ft @ 15.8 secs from 194 degrees. Southward at Pt Loma (191) swell was 1.3 ft @ 16.1 secs from 183 degrees.
• Buoy 46012 (Half Moon Bay)/029 (Pt Reyes): Seas were 2.8 ft @ 14.3 secs with swell 1.4 ft @ 13.6 secs from 191 degrees. Wind at the buoy (013) was north at 2 kts. Water temp 57.9 degs (013) and 63.1 degs (042).

See Hi-Res Buoy Dashboards (bottom of the page)

Significant: Winter - Swell 8 ft @ 14 secs or greater (11+ ft faces) for 8+ hours (greater than double overhead).
Summer - Head high or better.
Advanced: Winter - Swell and period combination capable of generating faces 1.5 times overhead to double overhead (7-10 ft)
Summer - Chest to head high.
Intermediate/Utility Class: Winter - Swell and period combination generating faces at head high to 1.5 times overhead (4-7 ft).
Summer - Waist to chest high.
Impulse/Windswell: Winter - Swell and period combination generating faces up to head high (1-4 ft) or anything with a period less than 11 secs.
Summer - up to waist high swell. Also called 'Background' swell.

Surf Heights for Hawaii should be consider 'Hawaiian Scale' if period exceeds 14 secs.

PACIFIC OVERVIEW
Current Conditions
On Thursday (8/29) in North and Central CA locally generated northwest windswell producing waves at knee to maybe thigh high on occasion and soft and barely braking but clean early. Protected breaks were flat and clean. At Santa Cruz surf was flat and clean. In Southern California/Ventura waves were knee high and textured and soft and not really rideable. In North Orange Co waves were waist high or so on the sets and somewhat lined up but weak and soft and clean. South Orange Country's best summertime breaks were mostly flat and clean but with some rare soft waist high sets. North San Diego had surf at waist high on the sets and clean but soft. Hawaii's North Shore was flat and clean. The South Shore was maybe waist high on the sets and clean and slow. The East Shore was getting no meaningful east windswell with waves knee high or so and textured from light easterly trades.

See QuikCASTs for the 5 day surf overview or read below for the detailed view.

Meteorological Overview
On Thursday (8/29) in California no swell was hitting. For Hawaii tiny swell was hitting from a modest gale that developed in the Tasman Sea targeting Fiji Tues-Fri (8/23) with 28-34 ft seas aimed north. The models grossly overhyped the expected size of this swell. The first is a series of small gales developed under New Zealand on Wed-Thurs (8/29) with up to 39 ft seas, but falling and aimed southeast at Antarctica. Another is developing right behind Thurs-Fri (8/30) producing up to 46 ft seas aimed due east. And a third is forecast Fri-Sun (9/1) producing up to 39 ft seas aimed east-northeast offering some better hope. And maybe a fourth is possible Sun-Tues (9/3) with 34 ft seas initially building to 49 ft aimed northeast. But in all cases, fetch size is to be small, limiting the fetch's footprint and ability to generate meaningful swell momentum. In the North Pacific a small fetch was developing in the Gulf of Alaska on Thurs (8/29) with 18 ft seas aimed south-southeast somewhat towards Hawaii. And another is to develop in the Northwestern Gulf on Sat-Mon (9/1) with 35 ft seas aimed east. So the transition to Fall is trying to occur, but we're not quite there yet.

See all the details below...

 

SHORT- TERM FORECAST
Current marine weather and wave analysis plus forecast conditions for the next 72 hours

North Pacific

Overview
Surface Analysis
No swell of interest is in the water.

Over the next 72 hours low pressure is to be building in the Gulf of Alaska targeting Hawaii (See Gulf Low below).

Also a small gale is forecast to develop on the northern dateline region on Fri PM (8/30) producing 35-40 kt north to northwest winds with seas starting to build. On Sat AM (8/31) the gale is to bloom with 45 kt northwest winds and seas 31 ft at 47.5N 175.5W aimed southeast. In the evening the gale is to sweep east comfortably in the Northwestern Gulf with 40 kt west winds with 35 ft seas at 48.5N 169.5W aimed east. On Sun AM (9/1) the gale is to lift northeast slightly with 35-40 kt west reasonably well south of the Eastern Aleutians with 31 ft seas at 50N 164W aimed east. In the evening 30-35 kts easterly fetch is to hold somewhat exposed south of the Aleutians with 26 ft seas at 52N 159W aimed east. On Mon AM (9/2) the gale is to fade with it's core in the Eastern Bering Sea with 30 kt west fetch fading just south of the Eastern Aleutians with seas fading from 21 ft at 53N 160W aimed east. The gale is to dissipate after that. Something to monitor.

 

Gulf Low Pressure (Hawaii)
A low pressure system started developing in the Gulf of Alaska later on Tues (8/27) and by Wed AM (8/28) it was producing a small area of 25-35 kt north winds aimed south and seas starting to build from 12 ft. In the evening 40 kt north winds were increasing their footprint at 47N 153W aimed just a bit east of Hawaii with a tiny area of 18 ft seas at 47.5N 153W targeting Hawaii. On Thurs AM (8/29) 30 kt north to northwest winds were falling south and fading producing 17 ft seas at 44.5N 153.5W targeting Hawaii somewhat. In the evening the gale is to fade while tracking southeast with 25 kt northwest winds and seas 15 ft at 41.5N 151W aimed southeast and bypassing Hawaii but likely to far from California to be of interest there. Bare minimal windswell is possible to result for Hawaii.

Hawaii: Possible windswell arriving on Sun (9/1) building to 2.6 ft @ 11 secs (2.5-3.0 ft). Swell fading on Mon (9/2) from 2.0 ft @ 9-10 secs (1.5-2.0 ft). Swell Direction: 5-10 degrees

Windswell Outlook
On Thursday (8/29) no fetch of interest capable of generating windswell is forecast for California or Hawaii. Friday (8/30) no fetch of interest is forecast for California other than building north winds at 15+ kts limited to the area between south of Monterey Bay to Pt Conception. For Hawaii easterly trades at 15 kts are to be building up to 1800 nmiles east of the Big Island but not north of there offering only limited potential to generate windswell. Saturday (8/31) no windswell producing fetch is forecast for California other than north winds at 15 kts limited to the area between Monterey Bay and Pt Conception. For Hawaii east trades are to hold at 15 kts from a point 1200 nmiles east of the Big Island but not north of there targeting only the Big Island directly offering some potential for windswell development there. By Sunday (9/1) that fetch is to dissipate offering no windswell production for Hawaii. For California north winds at 15-20 kts to continue for the Pt Conception area and building northward late afternoon reaching Pt Reyes but very shallow, offering little to low odds for windswell production.

 

  North Pacific Animations: Jetstream - Surface Pressure/Wind - Sea Height - Surf Height

 

Tropical Update
No tropical weather systems of interest are being monitored.

California Nearshore Forecast
On Thursday (8/29) light winds were in control of all of California. Fri (8/30) light winds continue except for south of Monterey Bay to Pt Conception with north winds 15+ kts, dropping some over the same area on Sat (8/31) at 15 kts. On Sunday (9/1) northwest winds are to be 15-20 kts from Monterey Bay south to Pt Conception building north at 15 kts to Pt Arena in the late afternoon. On Mon (9/2) northwest winds are forecast for North and Central CA at 15 kts and up to 20 kts in pockets in the afternoon. On Tues (9/3) 15 kts northwest winds are forecast for all of North and Central CA. Wednesday (9/4) northwest winds are forecast at 20 kts for North CA and 10 kts nearshore for Central CA and 15 kts off the coast there. Thurs (9/5) north winds are to be 20-25 kts for Cape Mendocino and light winds south of there.

Snow Models: http://www.stormsurf.com/mdls/menu_snow.html (Scroll down for resort specific forecasts).

 

South Pacific

Overview
Jetstream
On Thursday (8/29) the jetstream was well split with the influential southern branch of the jet tracking south under New Zealand forming a weak trough there with it's apex up at 59S being fed by 80-90 kts winds offering some support for gale development. The jet was falling steadily southeast from there pushing over the Ross Ice Shelf near 160W and tracking more southeast to east over the remainder of the South Pacific offering no support for gale development in the upper atmosphere. The only window was directly under New Zealand reaching to maybe the dateline. Over the next 72 hours starting Fri (8/30) a burst of southwesterly wind is to build under New Zealand at 150 kts lifting north to 58S and north of the northern edge of the the Ross Ice Shelf with that trough sweeping east into early Sun (9/1) and offering some improving odds for gale development pushing to 150W. Beyond 72 hours starting Mon (9/2) a generalized weak trough is to hold southeast of New Zealand but being fed by only 70 kts winds offering little to no support for gale development pushing east to the Central South Pacific on Wed (9/4). At the same time on Tues-Wed (9/4) a big ridge is to be building over the Southwest Pacific pushing south to 70S and over Antarctica proper sweeping east being fed by 110 kts winds completely shutting down support for gale development there but those winds feeding the trough ahead of it over the Central South Pacific. But by Thurs (9/5) the trough is to fade out and the ridge is to take control of the whole of the South Pacific with the core ridge over the Central South Pacific down at 66S and over the Ross Ice Shelf offering no support for gale development.

Surface Analysis  
Swell from a gale previously in the Tasman Sea is hitting Hawaii but far weaker than the model suggested it would be (see Tasman Sea Gale below). Also a gale developed under New Zealand falling southeast (See First New Zealand Gale below).

Over the next 72 hours another gale was developing south of New Zealand on Thurs AM (9/29) with 45-55 kt southwest winds with the gale itself tracking east and up to 39 ft seas at 57.5S 168E aimed east. In the evening a core of 55 kt southwest winds are to build pushing east with a tiny area of 46 ft seas building at 55.5S 178E aimed east. On Fri AM (8/30) southwest winds to be building in coverage but fading in velocity at 40 kts with 38 ft seas at 54S 171.5W aimed northeast. Fetch is to be collapsing through the day and gone by evening with seas mainly from previous fetch fading from 31 ft at 57S 161W aimed east. Maybe some small swell to result.

And yet another small gale is to develop under New Zealand on Fri AM (9/30) with 50-55 kts southwest winds and seas on the increase from 30 ft at 58S 163.5E aimed east. In the evening southwest winds are to be 45-50 kt over a modest area aimed northeast with seas 40 ft over a tiny area at 55.5S 177E aimed east-northeast. On Sat AM (8/31) 45 kt southwest winds are to be in-play with 36 ft seas at 51S 167W aimed east-northeast. In the evening 35-40 kts southwest winds are to be fading aimed northeast with 32 ft seas at 49S 158W aimed northeast. On Sun AM (9/1) the gale is to be gone with 28 ft seas fading at 49S 151W aimed northeast. Some swell is to be radiating northeast.

 

First New Zealand Gale
A tiny storm developed just south of New Zealand on Wed AM (8/28) with 50-55 kts west winds over a small sized fetch area and seas building from 39 ft aimed east to southeast at 59S 171.5E. In the evening 45 kt west winds were over a small area with the core of the gale falling southeast with seas 39 ft at 61S 177.5 aimed east to southeast. On Thurs AM (8/29) fetch was fading from 35 kts from the west with the core of the gale tracking east and seas fading from 31 ft at 62.5S 168W aimed east and nearly impacting Antarctic Ice. The gale is to dissipate and track southeast from there over the Ross Ice Shelf. Doubtful much if any swell will be radiating northeast given it's southeasterly trajectory.

 

Tasman Sea Gale
On Tuesday AM (8/20) a gale started building just south of Tasmania producing 40 kt southwest winds and seas to 35 ft at 46S 148E aimed northeast. In the evening 35-40 kt southwest winds were building north into the Tasman Sea proper with 34 ft seas 46S 151E targeting Fiji. On Wed AM (8/21) 30-35 kt southwest winds were almost filling the Tasman Sea with 30-36 ft seas at 45S 155.5E aimed northeast targeting Fiji. In the evening secondary fetch built at 35-40 kts filling the western Tasman Sea aimed north with 28-30 ft seas at 42S 155E aimed northeast. On Thurs AM (8/22) south fetch at 35 kts was filling the Tasman Sea with seas 28-30 ft slid at 32S-42S and 160E aimed north. Fetch was fading fast in the evening at 30 kts with seas fading from 26-28 ft at 39S 164E aimed north. The gale fading from there.

Hawaii: NOTE: This forecast is significantly overhyped compared to what is actually happening. Swell fading some on Thurs (8/29) fading from 3.1 ft @ 15-16 secs early (4.5-5.0 ft). Swell fading Fri (8/30) from 2.3 ft @ 15 secs (3.5 ft). Dribbles Sat AM (8/31) fading from 1.6 ft @ 13-14 secs (2.0 ft). Swell Direction: 215 degrees

 

South Pacific Animations: Jetstream - Surface Pressure/Wind - Sea Height - Surf Height

 

QuikCAST's

 

LONG-TERM FORECAST
Marine weather and forecast conditions 3-10 days into the future

North Pacific

Beyond 72 hours no clearly defined swell producing weather systems are forecast. But the transition from Summer to Fall is to continue.

Windswell Outlook
On Monday (9/2) northwest winds are forecast at 15 kts relative to California from Pt Arena south to Pt Conception offering only bare minimal support for windswell production. No easterly fetch in excess of 15 kts is forecast east of Hawaii. On Tues (9/3) north winds to be 15 kts over all of North and Central CA offering some limited improved odds for very short period small northerly windswell for that area. No easterly fetch of interest is forecast relative to Hawaii. Wed (9/4) northwest winds at 20+ kts are forecast for Cape Mendocino with 15 kts north winds off the coast of Central CA offering some support for windswell production. A possible weak developing tropical system is to be 900 nmiles east-southeast of Hawaii possible generating easterly windswell tracking east towards the BIg Island. On Thurs (9/5) north winds to be 25 kts over Cape Mendocino CA but with no fetch south of there offering only limited odds of windswell production down into Central CA. A weak tropical low is to be 750 nmiles east-southeast of the Big Island offering only low odds for windswell production radiating west.

 

South Pacific

Beyond 72 hours yet a larger gale is to follow under New Zealand on Sat PM (8/31) with 35-40 kt west winds and seas building from 28 ft at 55S 168E aimed east. On Sun AM (9/1) a broad fetch of southwest winds are forecast with a core at 45-50 kts just southeast of New Zealand with 34 ft seas building at 56.5S 179E aimed east-northeast. In the evening the gale is to refocus and build with 50-55 kt southerly fetch developing further south and and lifting northeast with 33 ft seas building at 58.5S 175W aimed northeast. On Mon AM (9/2) a very solid fetch of 50 kt southwest winds are forecast with seas building to 46 ft at 57S 168.5W aimed northeast. In the evening southwest winds are to push northeast at 45 kts with seas 45 ft at 52.5S 160W aimed northeast. On Tues AM (9/3) southwest winds are to be 35-40 kts over the Central South Pacific with 39 ft seas at 50.5S 149.5S. Fetch is to be fading from 35 kts in the evening with seas fading from 33 ft at 50S 142W aimed east. Something to monitor.

 

MJO/ENSO Forecast

 

Cool Water Covers Equatorial Pacific - Models Suggest It To Fade

The Madden Julian Oscillation is a periodic weather cycle that tracks east along the equator circumnavigating the globe. It is characterized in it's Inactive Phase by enhanced trade winds and dry weather over the part of the equator it is in control of, and in it's Active Phase by slackening if not an outright reversing trade winds while enhancing precipitation. The oscillation occurs in roughly 20-30 day cycles (Inactive for 20-30 days, then Active for 20-30 days) over any single location on the planet, though most noticeable in the Pacific. During the Active Phase in the Pacific the MJO tends to support the formation of stronger and longer lasting gales resulting in enhanced potential for the formation of swell producing storms. Prolonged and consecutive Active MJO Phases in the Pacific help support the formation of El Nino. During the Inactive Phase the jet stream tends to split resulting in high pressure and less potential for swell producing storm development. Wind anomalies in the Kelvin Wave Generation Area (KWGA) are key for understanding what Phase the MJO is in over the Pacific. The KWGA is located on the equator from 135E-170W and 5 degs north and south (or on the equator from New Guinea east to the dateline). West wind anomalies in the KWGA suggest the Active Phase of the MJO in the Pacific, and east anomalies suggests the Inactive Phase. In turn the Active Phase strengthens and the Inactive Phase weakens the jetstream, which in turn enhances or dampens storm production respectively in the Pacific.The paragraphs below analyze the state of the MJO in the Pacific and provide forecasts for MJO activity (which directly relate to the potential for swell production).

Overview: A double dip La Nina was in control through the Winter of 2017-2018. But warming started building along the South and Central American coast in early March 2018 associated with two upwelling Kelvin Waves, and continued trying to build over equatorial waters over the Summer and Fall, but not enough to declare El Nino and not coupled with the atmosphere. In January 2019, those warm waters were fading, but then rebuilt late in Feb associated with Kelvin Wave (#3). But as of early June 2019 warm water was fading and by August a tongue of cool water was tracking west on the equator from Ecuador over the Galapagos reaching to a point nearly south of Hawaii. El Nino was dead.

LONG-RANGE PACIFIC STORM AND SWELL GENERATION POTENTIAL FORECAST

Fall/Winter 2019/2020 = 5.0/4.0 (California & Hawaii) Rating based on a 1-10 scale: 1 being the lowest (small and infrequent surf conditions), 5 being normal/average, and 10 being extraordinary (frequent events of large, long period swells)

Rationale: It is assumed the PDO has moved to the warm phase and that a weak borderline El Nino from 2018 is fading out, but not yet completely gone, especially in the atmosphere. Likewise it looks like a La Nina ocean temperature pattern is developing in the equatorial East Pacific, with cooler than normal waters tracking west on the equator. We assumed El Nino like momentum will hold for a while in the atmosphere will take a while to sense that the ocean temperature pattern has changed. But once it does, a turn towards a La Nina like atmospheric pattern will start to develop. that transition is expected in the late Nov-early Dec timeframe. Even so, moderation from the PDO might prevent La Nina from fully developing. Given all that, there is decent probability for a normal start to the Fall surf season (in the Northern Hemisphere) meaning a normal amount of number of storm days and storm intensity, resulting in a normal levels of swell, with normal duration and normal period. But by mid-Dec 2019, the number of storm days, intensity and duration of those storms should start fading and as a result, swell production should fade slightly as well. This pattern is expected to hold through April 2020.

KWGA/Equatorial Surface Wind Analysis & Short-term Forecast (KWGA - Kelvin Wave Generation Area - The area 5 degrees north and south of the equator from 170W to 135E)
Analysis (TAO Buoys): As of (8/28) 5 day average winds were solidly from the east over the Eastern equatorial Pacific shrinking in coverage but still present over the Central Pacific with east winds at moderate strength extending west to the dateline then fading and turning calm from 160E and points west of there over the KWGA. Anomalies were neutral over the East and Central equatorial Pacific to 170E then turning very weak westerly over the KWGA.
1 Week Forecast (GFS Model): On (8/29) mostly weak west anomalies were filling the KWGA with west anomalies a bit more prevalent and focused in the core of the KWGA. The forecast is for this pattern generally holding for the coming week but with west anomalies weakening steadily through the end of the model run on 9/5. A neutral MJO pattern is forecast over the next 7 days.

Kelvin Wave Generation Area wind monitoring model: West and East

Longer Range MJO/WWB Projections:  
OLR Models: (8/28) A neutral MJO pattern was in control of the KWGA today. The statistic model indicates it is to hold for the next 15 days, if not building some towards the Active Phase. The dynamic model indicates a neutral pattern holding through the 15 days model run (but not longer biased towards the Inactive Phase 15 days out).
Phase Diagrams 2 week forecast (ECMF and GEFS): (8/29) The statistical model depicts the Active Phase was exceedingly weak in strength over the Western Maritime Continent and is to migrate slowly east to the West Pacific 15 days out and still very weak. The GEFS model suggests the Active Phase migrating to the core of the Maritime Continent and exceedingly weak at day 15 of the model run and stalling there.
40 day Upper Level Model (assumed to be a statistical model): (8/29) This model depicts the Inactive Phase moving east over Central America today with a neutral pattern if not weakly Active over the Central Pacific. A weak Active Phase of the MJO is to develop over the West Pacific 9/13 tracking east moving over the Central Pacific and dissipating at the end of the model run on 10/8. A weak Inactive MJO is to be setting up over the far West Pacific at the end of the model run.
4 Week CFS Model (850 mb wind): (8/28) This model depicts no MJO signal present in the Pacific today but with modest west anomalies on the dateline. The forecast depicts these west anomalies building in coverage completely filling the KWGA by 8/31 and holding solidly through the end of the model run on 9/25.
3 Month CFS Model (850 mb wind): (8/29) This model depicts a neutral MJO pattern over the KWGA today but with weak west anomalies filling the KWGA. The forecast has a dead neutral MJO signal holding from now through 9/10 when a very weak Active MJO develops holding through 10/1. A weak Inactive Phase is to follow 9/25 through 10/17 followed by a building Active Phase 10/23-11/11 followed by a stronger Inactive Phase on 11/2 through the end of the model run on 11/26. During that entire period weak west anomalies are to hold in the core of the KWGA if not building pretty solid during the active phase in early Nov. The low pass filter changed on 7/25 and is building yet more today with a low pressure bias with 1 contour line in control of the KWGA centered on the dateline reaching east to California. This single remaining contour line is to hold for the foreseeable future, with a second contour line developing 10/26 and possible a third contour line on 11/25. If this pattern holds into early Fall it would constitute a significant upgrade. This model indicates that a weak El Nino pattern is to maybe rebuild. That is not believable. Basically we are moving from a pattern biased towards El Nino to one biased towards ENSO neutral. No sign of La Nina is depicted per this model.

CFSv2 3 month forecast for 850 mb winds, MJO, Rossby etc - Alternate link

Subsurface Waters Temps
TAO Array: (8/29) Today in the far West Pacific water temps are 30 degs over a decent size area reaching east to only 180W while the 29 deg isotherm was retrograding to 172W today. The 28 deg isotherm line was steady at 160W today. The 24 deg isotherm previously pushed into Ecuador at 30 meters down, but retrograded on 7/11 from 107W to 125W today. Anomaly wise, gentle warm anomalies are filling the West Pacific at +1-2 degs from the surface to 150 meters down (deepest on the dateline) and indicative of a possible stationary Kelvin Wave #5 there reaching east to 150W. East of there in the East Pacific NO warm anomalies remained with a cool pocket with a core at -2 degs down 100 meters at 130W and pushing east towards the surface hard. The hi-res GODAS animation posted 8/21 indicates warm water from Westerly Wind Burst #5 has formed a small stationary Kelvin Wave under the Dateline with cool anomalies from 140W into Ecuador drawing up from depth to the surface. The GODAS animation appears to be 1 week behind the TAO data but also is more detailed and accurately modeled.
Sea Level Anomalies: (8/21) A small area of weak positive anomalies were on the dateline from 165E to 165W. Negative anomalies were building west from Ecuador at -5 cms reaching to 150W with one pocket at -10 cms near 125W strongly suggestive of La Nina.

Surface Water Temps: The more warm water in the equatorial East Pacific means more storm production in the North Pacific during winter months (roughly speaking). Cold water in that area has a dampening effect. Regardless of what the atmospheric models and surface winds suggest, actual water temperatures are a ground-truth indicator of what is occurring in the ocean. All data is from blended infrared and microwave sensors.
Satellite Imagery
Hi-res Nino1.2 & 3.4: (8/28) The latest images (1.2 3.4) indicate weak warm anomalies are present north of the equator from Central America west to 140W and shrinking in coverage and then with broader coverage west of 140W to the dateline. Of more interest was a pool of cool waters along the coasts of Chile up to Peru then streaming west on the equator off Ecuador over the Galapagos and out to 160W solidly suggestive of La Nina. But that stream starting weakening 8/20 but is holding steady today. Warm anomalies south of the equator are steady but very weak today from just of Peru east to 140W centered on 10S. There had been a steady push towards the evaporation of El Nino in the East equatorial Pacific with La Nina developing there. But starting last week (8/20), that trend appears to have started to reverse itself. But we suspect this is a short lived trend and today there is some sense of the evaporation pattern redeveloping.
Hi-res 7 day Trend (8/28): A mixed trend has set up on the equator from just off Ecuador to 160W with interspersed pockets of cooling and warming, but with the bias favoring cooling over warming. In general the trend towards a cooler pattern in the equatorial Pacific had been evident, and continues today.
Hi-res Overview: (8/28) A clear La Nina cool stream was pushing west starting with a broad bubble of cool water along Chile and Peru then streaming west off Ecuador to 175W indicative of La Nina. Warmer than normal water was straddling the equator from the remnants of El Nino, mainly north of the equator and all but gone south of the equator. El Nino appears to be in retreat and La Nina appears to be developing.
Nino1.2 Daily CDAS Index Temps: (8/29) Today's temps were falling again today at -0.118 degs, but have been pretty consistently negative since June 1.
Nino 3.4 Daily CDAS Index Temps: (8/27) Today's temps were rising slightly at -0.443 degs after bottoming out on 8/28 at -0.510 degs. The trend has been generally downward since mid-June.

CFSV2 Forecast for Nino3.4 Sea Surface Temp (SST) Anomalies & Current SST Anomalies

SST Anomaly Projections
CFSv2 Uncorrected Data (8/29) The model indicates a cooling trend set up with temps down to -0.05 degs in early August. The forecast has temps rising through Sept into early Oct reaching +0.45 degs then falling in Dec to +0.20 degrees. On Jan 1 2020 temps are to start rebuilding steadily from there reaching +0.70 degs by April and +0.8 degs on May 1. According to this model a neutral sea surface temperature pattern is forecast, neither El Nino nor La Nina in the Fall then trending warm after that.
IRI Consensus Plume: The Aug 2019 Plume depicts temps are at +0.30 degs in August, and are to hold in the +0.50 range into Dec/Jan, then fading slightly to +0.45 in May/April 2020. See chart here - link.

Atmospheric Coupling (Indicating the presence of El Nino in the atmosphere driven by the ocean):
Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) (negative is good, positive bad) (8/29): The daily index was negative today at -15.05. The 30 day average was negative at -2.05. The 90 day average was rising at -6.07, suggesting a neutral ENSO pattern was developing.
ESPI Index (like SOI but based on satellite confirmed precipitation. Positive and/or rising is good, negative and/or falling is bad): (April) +0.34, March +1.0, Feb +1.29, Jan +0.193. It is approaching El Nino territory but still indicted mostly ENSO neutral conditions.
Pacific Decadal Oscillation: The PDO is weakly positive, even though La Nina is in play.
Per NOAAs index recent values: June 2017 +0.21, July -0.50, Aug -0.62, Sept -0.25, Oct -0.61, Nov -0.45, Dec -0.13, Jan 2018 +0.29, Feb -0.19, Mar -0.61, April -0.89, May -0.69, June -0.85, July -0.09, Aug -0.43, Sept -0.46, Oct -0.75, Nov -0.78, Dec -0.12, Jan -0.23, Feb -0.55 This continues to look like the warm phase of the PDO, even with La Nina, because the warm PDO appears to be dampening the effects of La Nina. No consistently solid negative readings have occurred since Feb 2014
The Washington/JISAO index (Jan-Dec): June 2017 +0.79, July +0.10, Aug +0.09, Sept +0.32, Oct +0.05, Nov +0.15, Dec +0.50, Jan +0.70. Feb +0.37, Mar -0.05, April +0.11, May +0.11, June -0.04, July +0.11, Aug +0.18, Sept +0.09. No real negative readings have occurred since Dec 2013
The PDO turned from a 16 year negative run (Jan 98-Feb 2014) in early 2014 and has been positive ever since (other than a few months of negative readings in Fall 2016, the result of a turn towards La Nina). Looking at the long term record, it is premature to conclude that we have in-fact turned from the negative phase (La Nina 'like') to the positive phase (El Nino 'like'), but the data strongly suggests that could be a possibility. By the time it is confirmed (4-5 years out), we will be well into it.

See imagery in the ENSO Powertool 

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External Reference Material: El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), Kelvin Wave

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Powerlinessurf

Jeff Clark

Inside Mavericks

Local Interest

Stormsurf Video Surf Forecast for the week starting Sunday (8/25):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhJ88lEItwg&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
For automatic notification of forecast updates, subscribe to the Stormsurf001 YouTube channel - just click the 'Subscribe' button below the video.

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NBC News - Climate Change and Surfing: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/climate-change-good-surfing-other-sports-not-so-much-ncna1017131

Stormsurf and Mavericks on HBO Sports with Bryant Gumbel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luQSYf5sKjQ

Mavericks Invitational Pieces Featuring Stormsurf:
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/how-to-predict-the-best-surfing-waves-EsNiR~0xR5yXGOlOq2MqfA.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/surfs-up-for-mavericks-invitational-in-calif/

Time Zone Converter By popular demand we've built and easy to use time convert that transposes GMT time to whatever time zone you are located. It's ion left hand column on every page on the site near the link to the swell calculator.

Surf Height-Swell Height Correlation Table