Bay tides push through a midday high as Bodega stays chilly

What's next

Bay-side anglers can plan around a high near 9:21 a.m. Pacific time, ebbing toward a low around 1:43 p.m. On the Bodega side the high arrives a bit earlier, near 8:54 a.m., with the low following around 1:12 p.m. With the moon at first quarter, tidal exchange is moderate rather than the bigger swings of a full or new moon, which typically means steadier current through the change instead of a hard rip — that favors working the last push of the incoming tide into the top before things slack off.

Over the next couple of days, expect the same split to hold: cooler, upwelling-driven water off Bodega with the Bay running comparatively milder. That gap is the thing to watch, since a narrowing spread would signal upwelling relaxing and warmer water pushing back toward the coast. For weekend planning, the late-morning tide window looks like the more workable stretch on both sides of the region.

Context

Late September in Northern California typically sits inside the tail end of the upwelling season along the outer coast, with cold, nutrient-rich water holding off Bodega while the more sheltered Bay runs a few degrees warmer. The split seen in today's readings is consistent with that normal seasonal pattern rather than anything unusual. This is generally a transitional stretch on the calendar, as summer upwelling begins easing toward fall conditions, though the exact timing of that shift varies from year to year.