Weather & Conditions

Today's weather, tides and sunrise and sunset times appear at the top of this page. Below is what to expect from Avila's weather and ocean through the year, so you can read those numbers like a local.

The seasons

Avila sits on a cove that faces south into San Luis Bay, with hills behind it. That shape makes it warmer and sunnier than most Central Coast towns and keeps out some of the fog and wind. Here's the year, using long-term averages from Weather Spark:

• Winter (December to March): The cool season. Highs average in the low to mid-60s and lows in the 40s, with December the coldest month. Most of the year's rain falls between mid-November and early April. February is the wettest month, averaging about 3 inches over about six wet days. Between storms, winter days are often clear and crisp.
• Spring (March to June): This is the windy season. Average wind speeds are highest from February through late June, peaking in May at about 10 mph. Mornings can start gray as the marine layer returns.
• Summer (June to August): Early summer can bring gray, overcast mornings from the marine layer. Highs climb into the 70s from July on. By August, skies are clear or partly cloudy most of the time.
• Fall (September to October): The local favorite. September is the warmest month, averaging a high of 74°F, and also the calmest, at about 7.7 mph. The warm stretch with highs above 72°F runs from early July to late October.

Fog and the marine layer

The gray mornings of late spring and early summer have nicknames up and down the California coast: "May gray" and "June gloom," sometimes stretching into "Fogust." The National Weather Service explains the marine layer as a product of high pressure, ocean winds and the difference between cold water and warm land. Avila's south-facing cove gives it some shelter, but on marine layer days expect a cool, gray start. Weather Spark's cloud-cover averages show the clearer half of the year running from early May to the end of October.

Water temperature

The Pacific here is cold all year. Weather Spark's averages put the coolest water in spring, around 54°F in April, and the warmest in late summer and fall, around 60°F in September, with the warm stretch running from about late July to early November. Daily readings swing more than the averages suggest: SeaTemperature.net shows August water ranging from about 54°F to 64°F, and February from about 52°F to 59°F. Plan on a wetsuit for anything longer than a quick dip. See surfing and kayak and paddleboard.

Wind

Spring is the windiest time of year. Weather Spark's averages show wind speeds above about 9 mph from February to late June, peaking in May, and the calmest stretch from late June through January, with September the calmest month. If you're planning to kayak or paddleboard, check the day's wind forecast first, since strong northwesterly winds can come with passing weather systems.

Tides

Avila has mixed tides: two high tides and two low tides most days, with noticeably different heights. The official tide station is NOAA's Port San Luis station (#9412110). The average daily range is about 5 feet, and several times a month the lowest tide drops below zero. These "minus tides" are the best time to explore the tide pools and walk the rocks toward Pirate's Cove. Always watch the incoming tide so you don't get cut off.

Sunrise and sunset

According to Sunrise-Sunset.org, the earliest sunrise of the year is about 5:47 a.m. in mid-June and the latest sunset is about 8:21 p.m. in late June. The earliest sunset is about 4:50 p.m. in early December, and the shortest day of the year is just under 10 hours long.

Early morning and the last hour before sunset are the best times for photos along the beach. See the sunrise collection for what that looks like.

Before you go

Check today's conditions above, then plan around them: low tide for tide pools, light wind for paddling, and late afternoon for sunset. For a broader look at the calendar, read the best time to visit.