Partly cloudy, high near 69°. No real rain risk. All-day beach window. Breezy, up to 15 mph.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 5% — pack the sunscreen, not the umbrella.
Tide
0.3 ft · falling ↘
Next low tide
12:24 PM 0.2 ft
T−…
1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.
Wind
12 mph
from the NE
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 3 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30 if you are out for more than an hour.
An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.
Rip Current Riskestimated
todayCalm pattern today. Currents can still surprise — keep kids within reach.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Green Flag
calm, swim easy
estimated · trust the lifeguard
Stingers & Biters
modelled, not observedBased on wind, water temperature and humidity. Nobody publishes a live count, so this is what conditions favour today.
Portuguese man o' warUnlikely
The wind has been blowing along or off the beach, which keeps them offshore.
No-see-umsUnlikely
14 mph breeze around sunset should keep them down.
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around July (85°), coolest around January (53°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Carolina Beach station 8658559); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.
The air is 68°F, with breezy 14 mph winds from the ENE. The UV index reaches 3 (moderate).
The week ahead at Carolina Beach, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sat Nov 7.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 69°F | 15 mph | — | 3 | 2% |
| Tue Nov 3 | Cloudy | 74°F | 14 mph | — | 5 | 2% |
| Wed Nov 4 | Cloudy | 78°F | 11 mph | — | 5 | 1% |
| Thu Nov 5 | Cloudy | 81°F | 9 mph | — | 5 | 10% |
| Fri Nov 6 | Showers | 80°F | 9 mph | — | 4 | 43% |
| Sat Nov 7 | Showers | 75°F | 9 mph | — | 4 | 4% |
| Sun Nov 8 | Drizzle | 72°F | 10 mph | — | 4 | 5% |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8658559. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.
| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Shell window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | High 1:10 AM 4.0 | Low 7:01 AM 0.6 | High 1:42 PM 5.0 | Low 8:06 PM 0.5 | 5:46 AM–7:46 AM |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 2:21 AM 4.2 | Low 8:17 AM 0.6 | High 2:47 PM 4.8 | Low 9:03 PM 0.4 | 7:02 AM–9:02 AM |
| Wed Nov 4 | High 3:25 AM 4.5 | Low 9:27 AM 0.5 | High 3:46 PM 4.7 | Low 9:53 PM 0.3 | 8:12 AM–10:12 AM |
| Thu Nov 5 | High 4:21 AM 4.9 | Low 10:28 AM 0.4 | High 4:39 PM 4.5 | Low 10:38 PM 0.2 | 9:13 AM–11:13 AM |
| Fri Nov 6 | High 5:10 AM 5.2 | Low 11:21 AM 0.4 | High 5:26 PM 4.4 | Low 11:20 PM 0.2 | 10:06 AM–12:06 PM |
| Sat Nov 7 | High 5:54 AM 5.4 | Low 12:09 PM 0.3 | High 6:10 PM 4.3 | Low 11:58 PM 0.2 | 10:54 AM–12:54 PM · best |
| Sun Nov 8 | High 6:35 AM 5.5 | Low 12:54 PM 0.3 | High 6:51 PM 4.1 | — | 11:39 AM–1:39 PM |
The average sea temperature at Carolina Beach for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in July (85°F) and coolest in January (53°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in June, July, August, September.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53°F | 12°C | Cold |
| February | 54°F | 12°C | Cold |
| March | 60°F | 15°C | Cold |
| April | 66°F | 19°C | Chilly |
| May | 73°F | 23°C | Cool |
| June | 79°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| July | 85°F | 30°C | Warm |
| August | 84°F | 29°C | Warm |
| September | 80°F | 27°C | Comfortable |
| October | 73°F | 23°C | Cool |
| November (now) | 66°F | 19°C | Chilly |
| December | 57°F | 14°C | Cold |
Rip currents. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.
Sun. The UV index peaks at 3 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Dogs. Dogs are allowed right now, on a leash. Allowed until April 1.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Carolina Beach rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.
Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming.
Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at Carolina Beach it’s breezy.
0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.
Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.
High tide is at 1:10 AM and 1:42 PM, and low tide is at 7:01 AM and 8:06 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 3 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Highs run 69–81°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sat Nov 7.
The water at Carolina Beach averages about 66°F (19°C) in November.
July is the warmest month, averaging 85°F. January is the coolest, at 53°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from June, July, August and September. July is the warmest, at 85°F.
The usual water temperature in November at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Wrightsville Beach conditions | 13 mi | 66°F |
|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach conditions | 62 mi | 64°F |
| Isle of Palms conditions | 139 mi | 66°F |
| Sullivan's Island conditions | 143 mi | 66°F |
| Folly Beach conditions | 152 mi | 67°F |
| Kiawah Island conditions | 160 mi | 67°F |
More for Carolina Beach: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →