Cannon Beach • Statistics for August

August: Summer Persistence

August looks very similar to July, and the summer lull remains in full effect. Average wave height is again around 3-4ft (1.1m), average period is 9.8s, and WNW swell dominates at 51 percent of observations, with W adding 29 percent. There are more 1-1.5m waves in the mix than in July, so if a small, clean window appears it can be surprisingly fun, but overall energy is modest and disorganized.

The northerly wind machine is still running. NNW wind dominates with 39 percent, NW contributes another 16 percent, and the wind is ideal for surfing only 12 percent of the time. Eastern offshore flow begins to tick up slightly compared to July but remains a minor player. The northwest wind is a constant struggle, pushing the surf into choppy, cross-onshore texture. August is also the last full month of the summer pattern; by the end of the month, the first signs of autumn darkness and synoptic wind shifts start to appear. Water temperature peaks around 13.1°C, air temp averages 15.3°C, and precipitation stays minimal at 0.96 mm/day.