Weather & Tides

 

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View of Point Reyes Beach Looking North-Northeast

View of Point Reyes Beach Looking North-Northeast from the Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center. Image refreshes every fifteen minutes.

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Description of Typical Weather by Season

The moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean creates a climate with no great extremes of heat or cold. Any season can bring interesting weather during your visit to Point Reyes National Seashore. Come prepared!

Summer:

Although there is very little rain during summer months, there is often dense fog. If you are visiting Bear Valley or Tomales Bay, expect patchy morning fog to burn off by mid-day. Afternoons are often sunny and warm with a light breeze. By contrast, the beaches and headlands are often 20 degrees cooler with heavy fogs common throughout the day in July, August and September.

Fall:

The coastal areas of Point Reyes experience some of the clearest days in late September, October and early November. The occasional storm will start rolling through in late October, bringing clouds, wind, and rain. The strongest winds occur in November and December during occasional southerly gales.

Winter:

The heaviest rainfall occurs in the winter months. Come prepared for rain and drizzle to possibly last for several days. More rain falls east of Inverness Ridge than on the west side. In between winter rains, it is often sunny, calm, and cool.

Spring:

Most spring days are windy and even Bear Valley and Tomales Bay experience stiff breezes. Expect cool temperatures in March. By late May and early June, temperatures can be quite warm on the east side of Inverness Ridge.

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Precipitation and temperature at Bear Valley Visitor Center - January 2006–December 2015
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average Monthly Precipitation (inches) 4.1 5.4 4.1 2.6 0.8 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.9 2.9 6.3
Average Low Daily Temperature (°F) 40 42 43 44 47 50 52 52 51 49 44 40
Average High Daily Temperature (°F) 58 61 64 65 68 72 73 73 74 72 65 56
Minimum Temperature 2006 through 2015 (°F) 28 31 32 35 40 44 47 47 44 40 30 26
Maximum Temperature 2006 through 2015 (°F) 77 79 81 90 96 97 99 100 95 97 83 74
 
Precipitation and temperature at Bear Valley Visitor Center - January 2006–December 2015 (Metric)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average Monthly Precipitation (cm) 10.5 13.7 10.5 6.7 2.1 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.7 4.8 7.4 16.0
Average Low Daily Temperature (°C) 5 5 6 7 8 10 11 11 11 9 6 4
Average High Daily Temperature (°C) 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 23 23 22 18 14
Minimum Temperature 2006 through 2015 (°C) -2 -1 0 2 5 7 8 8 7 5 -1 -4
Maximum Temperature 2006 through 2015 (°C) 25 26 27 33 36 36 38 38 35 36 29 24
 
 

Air Quality

Current Air Quality Data

Bay Area Air Quality Management District

Environmental Protection Agency

For more information about this issue and how it impacts Point Reyes, visit our Nature > Environmental Factors > Air Quality page.


For emergency road and weather conditions in West Marin, tune in to KWMR, 90.5 FM.

 

Tides

NOAA's Tides and Currents: Tide Predictions for Point Reyes
For tide predictions elsewhere in California, go to NOAA's Tides and Currents: California page and click on the appropriate link. Locations near Point Reyes, including multiple sites in Tomales Bay, can be found in the "Outer Coast, San Francisco" listings near the bottom of the page.

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Wind Forecasts

The following links are offered as two of many tools to determine the weather conditions at Point Reyes. Use them in conjunction with the other links above.
Sailflow: Wind Forecast Map
iWindsurf.com's Pt. Reyes Computer Forecast Table
The forecasts provided by iWindsurf.com seem to be rather reliable, with a bit of an adjustment. Park staff have observed that the wind speeds provided by these forecasts frequently need to be multipied by a factor of 1.5 to obtain the approximate average wind speed recorded at the Point Reyes Lighthouse and by a factor of 2 to obtain the approximate speed of maximum gusts. As an example, if the Forecast Table is indicating the wind speed is 10 mph, the average wind speed recorded at the Lighthouse will be approximately 15 mph and the gusts will be approximately 20 mph. If the Forecast Table is indicating wind speeds greater than 25 mph, visitors should be prepared to find that actual wind speeds at the Lighthouse are in excess of 40 mph, in which case the stairs leading down to the Lighthouse would be closed for visitors' safety. As with any weather forecast, what is predicted and what actually occurs may be very different. Every now and then, iWindsurf.com has predicted light winds when strong winds were actually recorded at the Lighthouse.

Tsunamis

National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

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Last updated: January 12, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Phone:

415-464-5100
This number will initially be answered by an automated attendant, from which one can opt to access a name directory, listen to recorded information about the park (e.g., directions to the park; visitor center hours of operation; fire danger information; wildlife updates; ranger-led programs; seasonal events; etc.), or speak with a ranger. Please note that if you are calling between 4:30 pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.

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