Santa Cruz County coastal areas are experiencing mild conditions today with an average ambient temperature hovering around 65°F along the immediate coastline and reaching a high near 72°F inland. Ocean water temperatures remain cool, averaging 56°F across Monterey Bay. Variable light onshore winds around 5 knots this morning are transitioning to a west-southwesterly breeze of 6 to 11 knots through the afternoon.
Marine observations from primary regional buoys report a primary swell arriving from the northwest at 4 to 5 feet with an 8-second wave period. A secondary long-period southern swell is also mixing into Monterey Bay, originating from the south-southwest at 2 feet with a 15-second period.
Tide cycles for Santa Cruz beaches feature a low tide of 0.8 feet at 9:14 AM PDT, followed by a moderate high tide of 4.6 feet at 3:52 PM PDT. A secondary low tide of 2.1 feet will occur later this evening at 9:30 PM PDT.