Reported Nov 12, 10:20 PM GMT-10Buoy 46076

Cape Cleare - 17 NM South of Montague Is, AK

Alaska, United States

Last wave reading:

Now at the buoy

Significant wave height at the buoy

4.6 ft

1.4 m

Dominant period
—
Direction
from SE 126°

Swell

3.9 ft1.2 m

10 sfrom SE 135°

Wind waves

2.3 ft0.7 m

5.9 sfrom SSE 158°

Mid-period swell leads: 3.9 ft at 10 s from the SE, with 2.3 ft of wind waves at 5.9 s from the SSE on top. Holding steady over the last 6 hours.

Significant wave height is the average of the biggest third of waves at the buoy. It is not surf height at a beach.

Trend at the buoy

Height at the buoy

2 ft4 ft6 ft8 ft10 ft12 ft14 ft16 ft18 ft20 ft22 ft24 ft26 ft28 ft8 Sun9 Mon10 Tue11 Wed12 Thu
  • Total (significant height)
  • Swell
  • Wind waves

Period

5 s10 s15 s8 Sun9 Mon10 Tue11 Wed12 Thu
  • Swell period
  • Wind-wave period
dir

Hourly means of the buoy's readings. Arrows point the way the waves travel.

Model vs the buoy

2 ft4 ft6 ft8 ft10 ft12 ft14 ft16 ft18 ft20 ft22 ft24 ft26 ft28 ftforecast
  • Buoy, hourly
  • Model, past days
  • Model forecast

Over the last 5 days, the model tracked the buoy within 10%.

Model peak each day at the buoy
DayHeightPeak periodFrom
Thu, Nov 125.1 ft10 sSSE
Fri, Nov 137.7 ft12 sSSE
Sat, Nov 147.5 ft9.5 sE
Sun, Nov 159.3 ft10 sESE
Mon, Nov 1610.0 ft10 sS
Tue, Nov 178.9 ft11 sS
Wed, Nov 1816.1 ft8.9 sESE
Thu, Nov 1920.3 ft9.9 sESE

ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (59.500°N, 148.000°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.

Nearby buoys

Nearest tide station: Macleod Harbor 44 km for today’s highs and lows.

Other readings

Water temperature
48°F (8.8°C)
Wind
14 kt from the ENE, gusts 16 kt
Air temperature
43°F (6.1°C)
Pressure
997.8 hPa

Reported Nov 12, 10:20 PM GMT-10.

How to read this buoy

Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the SE and S.

Biggest hourly reading in that record: 27.2 ft at 15 s on Nov 9.

Station id
46076
Operator
NDBC
Program
NDBC Meteorological/Ocean
Position
59.508°N, 148.005°W
Type
Moored buoy
Local time zone
GMT-10 (open ocean)
Swell split
Yes, swell and wind waves reported

Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Licence: Public domain (US government work). Station page at the source.

Not for navigation. Readings can be late, missing or wrong; check official marine forecasts before going to sea.

Buoy terms

Significant height
The average of the biggest third of waves the buoy measured. Sets in the surf zone can be bigger or smaller.
Dominant period
Seconds between the waves carrying the most energy. Longer period means more power and more bend around points.
Swell vs wind waves
Swell was made by distant wind; wind waves were made nearby. The buoy splits its spectrum at a cutoff period to report each.
Direction
Where waves come from, in degrees true. 270° is from the west.