Santa Cruz County is currently experiencing mild coastal weather with a daily high temperature reaching 68° and overnight lows dipping toward 51°. Marine conditions are characterized by northwest winds blowing at 15 to 20 knots, occasionally gusting higher near more exposed points like Davenport and the outer Monterey Bay zones.
Ocean swells remain consistent with a primary west-northwest swell measured at 3.1 feet with a 12-second period, while a secondary southern hemisphere swell of 2.6 feet at 15 seconds is filtering into the bay. Nearby buoys, including the Monterey Bay station and the Santa Cruz Basin buoy, report average wave sizes ranging from 2 to 4 feet at the most favorable breaks, though exposed reefs may see larger sets as the afternoon northwest wind swell builds.
The tide cycle for today includes a low tide of 0.61 feet at 3:18 AM followed by a high tide of 3.65 feet at 9:22 AM, while the afternoon low occurs at 1.48 feet at 2:54 PM and a significant high tide of 5.61 feet arrives at 9:15 PM. Daylight begins with first light at 5:31 AM, followed by sunrise at 5:59 AM and sunset at 8:10 PM, eventually transitioning into total darkness after 9:51 PM.
Tomorrow's outlook suggests a strengthening pressure gradient that will likely increase northwest winds to 25 knots. This will generate steeper, more chaotic seas and slightly larger wave heights, though air temperatures will remain steady under mostly clear skies.