An Early-Season Nor'easter Sent 6-to-8-Foot Waves Crashing onto Palm Beach County Beaches This Weekend
Palm Beach County beaches saw some of their roughest surf of the year this weekend, driven by a cold front connected to an early-season nor'easter that brought heavy rain and strong winds from the Mid-Atlantic to New England.
The cold front moved through on September 25. Its effects hit the coast over the weekend, producing the kind of powerful, consistent ocean swells that surfers look for — and that beach swimmers should treat with caution.
Coastal Palm Beach County was placed under a high surf advisory, a high rip current risk, and a coastal flood statement at various points over the weekend. Breaking waves at local beaches were projected to reach 6 to 8 feet. Those projections held: beaches from Jupiter south to Boca Raton saw churning, choppy surf that was visible from the shoreline.
The rough water had consequences. On Sunday morning, two people were pulled from a rip current at Hobe Sound Beach in Martin County by ocean rescue crews. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue separately urged residents to stay out of the ocean altogether, citing dangerous conditions.
The weekend also brought something Palm Beach County hadn't felt since last spring: noticeably cooler air. Temperatures dipped into the low 70s — the first real hint of fall in the region. For residents who endured a long, humid summer, the change was welcome even if the surf wasn't.
Nor'easters — low-pressure systems that track up the East Coast and pull winds out of the northeast — don't typically send effects this far south. An early-season storm reaching Palm Beach County in late September is unusual. The system also served as a reminder that conditions along local beaches can shift quickly and without much warning, especially during transition periods between seasons.
Ocean conditions along Jupiter, Juno Beach, and Hobe Sound Beach were expected to gradually settle as the swell moved through. Check NWS Miami at weather.gov for current beach hazard status before heading out.