Beachgoers warned about surf dangers

The National Weather Service urged holiday beachgoers, especially out-of-towners, to watch out for sneaker waves and rip currents from Wednesday through Friday afternoon.

The Weather Service issued the beach hazard statement, for the Sonoma Coast down to Monterey, on Tuesday.

"With the holidays, there are a lot more people in town who are not familiar with the ocean and the effects of waves," said Steve Anderson, a forecaster for the Weather Service. "They get on the beach, on the rocks, and that's where they get into trouble. That's why we want to tell people to watch out."

He said to expect medium to large swells and possible sneaker waves, which are unexpectedly large waves that can come without warning and sweep over areas of the beach that were previously dry.