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Monterey State Beach

Monterey, California· Southern California Coast

Cool, often fog-bound sand along the southern edge of Monterey Bay, where the deep submarine canyon keeps water temperatures low through summer. Excellent for walking and tidepool hunting; genuinely cold for swimming without a wetsuit.

Updated Sep 25,

Right now · Beach Day

Fair for beach day — cool — bring a layer

Fair
Feels like
58°FFairCool — bring a layer
Wind
3 mphExcellentLight wind
Rain chance
0%ExcellentLittle chance of rain
Surf
3.9 ftGoodModerate shore break
Sky
51%GoodPartly cloudy

Activity conditions

What Monterey State Beach is good for right now

Each activity is rated by its worst relevant condition, not an average.

Best time windows

When to go over the next two days

Windows come from the hourly forecast, so they get less certain further out.

Beach Day

  • Fri 9 AM – 8 PMGoodGood for beach day — mild and comfortable
  • Sat 7 AM – 2 PMFairFair for beach day — cool — bring a layer
  • Sat 2 PM – 5 PMGoodGood for beach day — mild and comfortable
  • Sat 5 PM – 7 PMFairFair for beach day — mostly cloudy
Hourly outlook for Beach Day from 8:00 AM to 7:00 AM

Fri 8 AMSun 7 AM

Beachcombing

  • Fri 8 AM – 10 AMFairFair for beachcombing — rising tide is covering the low beach
  • Fri 12 PM – 2 PMFairFair for beachcombing — higher water leaves a narrow beach
  • Fri 2 PM – 5 PMGoodGood for beachcombing — moderate tide with some beach exposed
  • Sat 2 PM – 4 PMGoodGood for beachcombing — moderate tide with some beach exposed
Hourly outlook for Beachcombing from 8:00 AM to 7:00 AM

Fri 8 AMSun 7 AM

Current conditions

Mostly Sunny

Air temperature
58°FForecastNational Weather Service· NWS MTR forecast grid
Wind
3 mphfrom the SWForecastNational Weather Service· NWS MTR forecast grid
Water temperature
60°FObservedNOAA NDBC· Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156) · 12 mi away
Surf
3.9 ft12 s periodObservedNOAA NDBC· Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156) · 12 mi away
Chance of rain
0%ForecastNational Weather Service· NWS MTR forecast grid
Cloud cover
51%ForecastNational Weather Service· NWS MTR forecast grid

Tide

Tide at MONTEREY, MONTEREY BAY

Heights are relative to MLLW, the NOAA chart datum for this station.

Now

Rising

Observed water level

3.9 ft

Today

  • Low 4:09 AM 0.5 ft
  • High 10:25 AM 4.9 ft
  • Low 4:22 PM 1.3 ft
  • High 10:24 PM 5 ft

Sat

  • Low 4:37 AM 0.8 ft
  • High 10:48 AM 5.2 ft
  • Low 5:04 PM 0.8 ft
  • High 11:10 PM 4.8 ft

Sun

  • Low 5:05 AM 1.2 ft
  • High 11:14 AM 5.5 ft
  • Low 5:48 PM 0.5 ft

Mon

  • High 12:00 AM 4.5 ft
  • Low 5:35 AM 1.6 ft
  • High 11:43 AM 5.8 ft
  • Low 6:36 PM 0.2 ft

Predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station 9413450.

Weather

Forecast

  • Today68°FMostly Sunny1%
  • Tonight56°FPartly Cloudy1%
  • Saturday65°FPartly Sunny0%
  • Saturday Night55°FMostly Cloudy0%
  • Sunday62°FPartly Sunny1%
  • Sunday Night55°FPartly Cloudy1%
  • Monday66°FMostly Sunny1%
  • Monday Night55°FMostly Clear1%
  • Tuesday69°FSunny0%
  • Tuesday Night58°FMostly Clear0%
  • Wednesday69°FMostly Sunny1%
  • Wednesday Night57°FPartly Cloudy1%
  • Thursday67°FMostly Sunny0%
  • Thursday Night56°FPartly Cloudy0%

Waves

Surf

Wave height

3.9 ft

ObservedNOAA NDBC· Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156) · 12 mi away

Period

12 s

Longer periods carry more energy and break harder.

Direction

WNW

Water temperature

Water

60°F

ObservedNOAA NDBC· Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156) · 12 mi away

Measured at the station above, which may sit some distance from the shore break. Surface temperature at the beach can differ.

Additional data

Daylight and data sources

Sunrise
6:57 AM
Sunset
7:01 PM
Humidity
84%
Visibility
9 mi
Time zone
America/Los_Angeles
Coordinates
36.6069, -121.8599

Stations used for this location

  • Tides — NOAA CO-OPS MONTEREY, MONTEREY BAY (9413450), 1.8 mi away
  • Weather — National Weather Service grid MTR 94,50
  • Buoy — NDBC Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156) (46236), 12 mi offshore; this buoy does not report wind
  • Water temperature fallback — NOAA CO-OPS Monterey (9413450), 1.8 mi away; used only when the buoy has no reading

Jots

Notes from Monterey State Beach

Short, dated notes from people who were actually there.

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