Sea of Cortez Southern Crossing Forecast
February 18, 2026, 9:00 am (UTC: -05:00)
Subject: Sea of Cortez Southern Crossing Forecast
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This forecast has not been reviewed. It was generated from an automatic model.
WARNINGS
.NONE.
.06 HOUR FORECAST TROUGH FROM 31.5N113.5W TO 30.5N115W. WITHIN
31N113W TO 31N114W TO 31N115W TO 30N115W TO 30N114W TO 31N113W
...INCLUDING THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA...SW WINDS 20 TO 30
KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 2.5 M.
.24 HOUR FORECAST TROUGH ALONG 30.5N. CONDITIONS IMPROVE. WINDS
20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 2.5 M.
.48 HOUR FORECAST TROUGH FROM 31N113.5W TO 30.5N115W. WITHIN
31N113W TO 31N114W TO 31N115W TO 30N115W TO 30N114W TO 30N113W TO
31N113W...INCLUDING THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA...SW TO W
WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS LESS THAN 2.5 M.
THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY OVER NW MEXICO
TO THE SOUTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA HAS DISSIPATED OVER OUR AREA.
HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NW OF THE AREA EXTENDS A RIDGE FROM NW TO
SE ACROSS THE OFFSHORE WATERS. A LOCALLY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT
BETWEEN THE RIDGING AND TROUGHING NEAR SW MEXICO SUPPORTS FRESH
TO STRONG NW-N WINDS NEAR CABO CORRIENTES. WINDS ARE MAINLY
MODERATE OR WEAKER ELSEWHERE, EXCEPT LOCALLY FRESH POSSIBLY
NEARSHORE OF BAJA CALIFORNIA FROM PUNTA EUGENIA SOUTHWARD, AS
WELL AS FROM THE SOUTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA TO NEAR CABO
CORRIENTES. ROUGH SEAS OF 8 FT OR GREATER ARE SPREADING OFFSHORE
BAJA CALIFORNIA FROM NEAR CABO SAN LAZARO NORTHWESTWARD. SEAS
ARE MAINLY MODERATE ELSEWHERE, EXCEPT SLIGHT IN THE MAJORITY OF
THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA AS WELL AS IN THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC.
FOR THE FORECAST, HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE BUILD IN ACROSS
THE AREA WATERS THROUGH FRI, PRODUCING FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG
NORTHERLY WINDS NEARSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA THROUGH THU NIGHT.
FRESH TO STRONG WINDS NEAR CABO CORRIENTES WILL PERSIST FOR THE
NEXT FEW HOURS BEFORE DIMINISHING TO FRESH. FRESH WINDS WILL
DOMINATE THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA SAT THROUGH
SUN NIGHT DUE TO A LOCALLY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT. NW SWELL WILL
CONTINUE TO BUILD ACROSS THE WATERS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA TODAY,
THEN BECOME REINFORCED TONIGHT THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK,
DECAYING DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.
SIGNIFICANT LARGE NW SWELL: NEW LARGE AND SIGNIFICANT SWELL WITH
SEAS OF 12 FT OR GREATER IS JUST N OF 30N AND PROPAGATING
SOUTHWARD, WHILE ROUGH SEAS COVER A LARGE AREA AHEAD OF IT,
ACROSS THE WATERS N FO 08N AND W OF 114W. SEAS OF 12 FT OR
GREATER WILL COVER THE WATERS FROM 26N TO 30N BETWEEN BAJA
CALIFORNIA AND 140W BY THIS EVENING WHILE PEAKING AROUND 15 FT
NEAR 30N BETWEEN 120W AND 130W, THEN GRADUALLY DECAYING BACK
BELOW 12 FT BY THU EVENING. LOOKING AHEAD, ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT
AND LARGE NW SWELL EVENT IS POSSIBLE IN THE NW WATERS LATE IN THE
UPCOMING WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. PLEASE REFER TO THE
LATEST NWS HIGH SEAS FORECAST AT WEBSITE:
HTTPS://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TEXT/MIAHSFEP2.SHTML FOR MORE DETAILS.
SHORT-TERM SOUTHERN CROSSING (along 23N)
TODAY - NNW 15-19, Seas NW 4.6-4.9 ft @ 6sec
TONITE - NNW 14-17, Seas NW 4.6-4.9 ft @ 6sec
THURSDAY - NNW 14-17, Seas NW 4.6-4.9 ft @ 6sec
THURSDAY NIGHT - NNW 11-14, Seas SSW 2.9-3.5 ft @ 14sec
LONG-TERM SOUTHERN CROSSING
FRIDAY - NNW 13-16, Seas SSW 3-3.6 ft @ 14sec
SATURDAY - NW 14-17, Seas SSW 3.3-3.7 ft @ 13sec
SUNDAY - NW 15-19, Seas NW 4.5-4.8 ft @ 6sec
MONDAY - NNW 13-16, Seas NW 4.8-5 ft @ 6sec
TUESDAY - NNW 10-12, Seas N/A ?-? ft @ ?