Dangerous Rip Currents Along Gulf Coast All Week

Do you know what the deadliest weather phenomenon is on a year-in, year-out basis for the County Warning Area served by the National Weather Service Mobile – Pensacola?

It’s not tornadoes, or hurricanes, or even lightning. It’s rip currents. Many of the people who die are visitors to the pristine beaches along the Gulf Coast.

And a significant and potentially deadly rip current and high surf event is setting up along the coast from Dauphin Island to Laguna Beach near Panama City for the rest of this week.

Since many people are at the beautiful beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida on Spring Break, and the weather is mild, a very potentially dangerous situation is developing. The water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab is 63F, still cold, but climbing steadily, and undoubtedly a few brave souls will test the water.

Very strong southerly winds will be flowing across the length of the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan into the Alabama and Northwest Florida coasts. This will set up a train of very high energy swells that will run some 7-10 feet with waves of 10-13 feet according to the Meteorologist in Charge of the National Weather Service Mobile-Pensacola, Jeff Medlen.

These swells will have a very long period, meaning that will be a large distance between them, unlike usual swells that are 4-5 seconds apart. These will be running some 8-10 seconds by tomorrow night and 12-14 seconds by Thursday night. This same high energy swell action will continue into the weekend. The wave train will actually continue after the cold front moves through this weekend and winds shift to the northwest, which usually helps calm the water.

High surf advisories and warnings will be required later this week as waves are forecast to reach 5-10 feet by Wednesday, 8-14 feet by Thursday and 10-15 feet.

The wave action will be dangerous for swimmers of all skill. And numerous rip current will occur as well. Please obey the red flags and double red flags and stay out of the water.

Needless to say, please communicate this with your friends and family who might be vacationing along the Gulf Coast as well.

There will even be minor coastal flooding by late in the week.

Here are links to our special new Beach Forecast pages for specific areas along the Gulf Coast. Please bookmark them!

Category: Alabama's Weather, Severe Weather