National Weather Service warns of sneaker waves on Sonoma Coast

Large swells off the Sonoma Coast will increase the risk of rip currents and sneaker waves, the National Weather Service warned Tuesday in a beach hazards notice set to remain in effect though Wednesday.

Wave heights were expected to begin rising on the coast in the late afternoon Tuesday and become more intense by Wednesday morning.

Waves could reach up to 9 feet, with sneaker waves arriving “during otherwise deceptively calmer seas,” the National Weather Service statement said.

Beach combing and wandering out onto coastal jetties, piers or rocks was strongly discouraged.

“These types of events claim lives each year, so extreme vigilance is advised if visiting the coast,” said the statement.

The beach hazards statement will expire at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

You can reach Staff Writer Kaylee Tornay at 707-521-5250 or kaylee.tornay@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ka_tornay.