Bay Area & Monterey water temperature today
Across 7 reporting buoys, the water ranges from 60°F at San Francisco Bar, CA to 67°F at Point Sur, CA.
Latest readings from the 7 NOAA buoys off Bay Area & Monterey: water temperature, wind and waves. Sorted with the long-running offshore buoys first.
| Buoy | Water | Wind | Waves | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Moon BayNDBC 46012 · 37.36°N 122.88°W | 64°F 18°C | NNW 12 kt | 3 ft @ 10s | Oct 17, 15:00 UTC |
| Cape San MartinNDBC 46028 · 35.76°N 121.90°W | 63°F 17°C | N 4 kt | – | Oct 17, 15:10 UTC |
| MontereyNDBC 46042 · 36.79°N 122.41°W | 66°F 19°C | NNW 12 kt | 4 ft | Oct 17, 15:10 UTC |
| Point Reyes, CANDBC 46214 · 37.94°N 123.47°W | 61°F 16°C | – | 7 ft @ 13s | Oct 17, 14:56 UTC |
| Monterey Canyon Outer, CANDBC 46236 · 36.76°N 121.95°W | 65°F 18°C | – | 4 ft @ 13s | Oct 17, 15:00 UTC |
| San Francisco Bar, CANDBC 46237 · 37.79°N 122.63°W | 60°F 16°C | – | 3 ft @ 14s | Oct 17, 15:00 UTC |
| Point Sur, CANDBC 46239 · 36.34°N 122.11°W | 67°F 20°C | – | 5 ft @ 13s | Oct 17, 15:00 UTC |
See where the warm and cold water actually sits between these buoys, and where the temperature breaks and color changes are, on the satellite chart for Bay Area & Monterey.
FAQ
Where does this water temperature come from?
From NOAA's National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Each buoy measures the water temperature near the surface, usually about a meter down, and reports roughly every hour. We pull the latest reading for every buoy off Bay Area & Monterey.
How often does this page update?
Every time you load it. Readings come straight from NOAA and are at most about 30 minutes behind what NOAA has published.
Why is the buoy temperature different from the satellite chart?
A buoy measures one spot a meter or so below the surface. A satellite measures the skin of the water over a wide area. On calm, sunny afternoons the skin can read warmer than the water below it. More in our guide to ground-truthing SST with buoys.
Related: How to use buoy data to ground-truth satellite SST · Ideal water temperatures for pelagic fish