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Point Reyes National SeashoreAlamere Falls and Double Point (13 mile round trip hike)
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Point Reyes National Seashore
Weather
 
Click here for a recent photograph of the Point Reyes Beach taken by the Lighthouse Visitor Center web camera.  The image is updated every 15 minutes.
Click on the image above for a recent view of the Point Reyes Beach taken from the Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center's web camera.
 

Warm dry summers and cool rainy winters characterize the Point Reyes Peninsula's climate, similar to the type of climate that prevails on the Mediterranean. While this is the general trend, the weather may be quite different depending on which side of the Inverness Ridge you are visiting. For example, there are usually moderate to strong winds on the exposed headlands and outer beaches and lighter breezes on the east side of Inverness Ridge.

 

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.

 

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!

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Temperature measured at Bear Valley Visitor Center

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Normal Daily Max (°C)

11.7

12.8

12.8

13.9

15.6

16.7

17.8

17.8

18.3

16.7

14.4

12.2

Normal Daily Max (°F)

53

55

55

57

60

62

64

64

65

62

58

54

Normal Daily Min (°C)

5.0

5.6

5.6

6.1

8.3

10.0

10.6

11.1

10.6

8.9

7.2

5.6

Normal Daily Min (°F)

41

42

42

43

47

50

51

52

51

48

45

42

Extreme High
(°C)

25.6

29.4

26.7

33.3

34.4

37.2

35.6

35.6

39.4

35.6

27.2

26.1

Extreme High
(°F)

78

85

80

92

94

99

96

96

103

96

81

79

Extreme Low
(°C)

-6.1

-3.3

-1.7

0.0

0.0

3.9

3.9

5.6

3.9

0.0

-1.7

-7.8

Extreme Low
(°F)

21

26

29

32

32

39

39

42

39

32

29

18

 

Precipitation measured at Bear Valley Visitor Center

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Normal (cm)

30.5

22.9

20.3

10.2

7.6

2.5

0.8

2.0

5.1

10.2

22.9

30.5

Normal (in)

12.0

9.0

8.0

4.0

3.0

1.0

0.3

0.8

2.0

4.0

9.0

12.0

Maximum (cm)

50.8

40.6

38.1

29.2

20.3

10.2

6.4

15.2

17.8

33.0

45.7

48.3

Maximum (in)

20.0

16.0

15.0

11.5

8.0

4.0

2.5

6.0

7.0

13.0

18.0

19.0

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More Information...
Weather
Real-time weather conditions at Bear Valley Visitor Center
Weather conditions at the Point Reyes Lighthouse - updated every 10 minutes
Weather conditions at the North District Operations Center - updated every 10 minutes

National Weather Service Forecasts:
Bear Valley/Olema
Drakes Beach
Point Reyes Lighthouse

Tides:
2008 Tide Predictions for Point Reyes
For tide predictions for Inverness, Marshall, and the Tomales Bay Entrance, go to 2008 Tide Predictions for California coast from Bolinas Bay to Crescent City and click on the appropriate link.

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Fog Forecasts:
SFGate.com's S.F. Bay Area Fog Forecast Slideshow - Overhead View
SFGate.com's S.F. Bay Area Fog Forecast Slideshow - Side View

Wind Forecast:
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. This link to iWindsurf.com is offered as one of many tools to determine the weather conditions at Point Reyes. Use it in conjunction with the other links above.

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 View of the Great Beach from the Lighthouse Visitor Center
Lighthouse web camera
Current view from the Lighthouse Visitor Center
more...
National Weather Service
National Weather Service Forecast
for Bear Valley/Olema
more...
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
NOAA's Tide Predictions
for Point Reyes
more...
Global Climate Change - Sun filtering through smoke
Global Climate Change
and Point Reyes
more...
Tule Elk  

Did You Know?
In the mid-1800s, the tule elk was hunted to the brink of extinction. The last surviving tule elk were discovered and protected in the southern San Joaquin Valley in 1874. In 1978, ten tule elk were reintroduced to Point Reyes, which now has one of California's largest populations, numbering ~400.

Last Updated: July 25, 2008 at 12:30 EST