Sonoma County, California Weather and Marine Report
Report time: Monday, May 11, 2026, 4:31 PM PDT
Sonoma County is seeing a cool marine pattern today, with northwest flow, hazy coastal conditions, and a choppy ocean that still carries a solid northwest swell. NOAA’s nearby coastal waters forecast shows northwest winds around 20 to 25 knots earlier today easing later, with seas generally 6 to 9 feet and wave detail near 8 to 9 feet at 9 to 10 seconds from the northwest. [web:1][page:1]
For the nearby buoy picture, NOAA buoy 46013 off Bodega Bay is reporting a significant wave height of 7.2 feet with swell from the west-northwest at 8.3 seconds, while buoy 46026 off San Francisco is showing 6.2 feet with an average period of 7.0 seconds and mean wave direction from the west-northwest. That lines up with an average wave size in the 6 to 7 foot range, with stronger sets running a bit higher on exposed beaches and reefs. [web:19][web:17]
The tide outlook for the Sonoma Creek Entrance area indicates a low tide around 3.02 feet at 11:24 PM, with a high tide near 4.19 feet earlier in the evening. Tides and current shifts can make the surf break more active near the bars and inlets, especially around stronger outgoing water. [web:9][web:1]
In plain terms, today favors a breezy, unsettled coastal day with a moderate northwest swell, a short-to-medium period, and surf that should be punchy rather than glassy. Expect the most organized wave energy to arrive from the northwest to west-northwest, with the ocean staying energetic through the evening. [web:1][web:17][web:19]
Credits and references: NOAA National Weather Service Marine Forecast, NOAA National Data Buoy Center, NOAA Tide Predictions. raw data from noaa, curated by surforecast pacificwaverider
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