Rough water today
forecastNo weather alert for Gulf Shores, but the forecast has waves to 4 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim.
Rough water today. Overcast, high near 75°. No real rain risk. Driest stretch: all day, but dry isn't calm. Keep out of rough water. Breezy, up to 16 mph.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 1%, but dry doesn't mean calm today. See the surf and wind above.
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
13 mph
from the E
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 5 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours and after every swim.
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
todayDangerous currents likely. Knee-deep only, lifeguarded sand only.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Red Flag
knee-deep only
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' warLikely
11 mph E wind onshore for most of the day so far.
Watch the tideline and the wrack. A stranded one still stings, and the tentacles break off and drift.
No-see-umsUnlikely
10 mph breeze around sunset should keep them down.
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around August (88°), coolest around January (59°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Gulf Shores station 8731269); 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.
Beach with care. The National Weather Service has a Rip Current Statement out for Gulf Shores until 6 PM Wednesday. Strong rip currents. Stay out of the water unless a lifeguard is on duty. The water at Gulf Shores is 75°F (24°C) today, 4°F warmer than the usual 71°F for November. For swimming it is comfortable for swimming. Waves are 4–5 ft (rough). The air is 75°F, with breezy 13 mph winds from the E. The UV index reaches 5 (moderate). The National Weather Service rip current risk is high.
The water holds steady around 75°F through Sun Nov 8.
The week ahead at Gulf Shores, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Fri Nov 6.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 75°F | 16 mph | 4.4 ft | 5 | 1% | 75°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Rain | 77°F | 20 mph | 4.5 ft | 5 | 38% | 75°F |
| Wed Nov 4 | Drizzle | 80°F | 10 mph | 3.1 ft | 5 | 41% | 76°F |
| Thu Nov 5 | Cloudy | 80°F | 8 mph | 1.6 ft | 5 | 5% | 76°F |
| Fri Nov 6 | Showers | 73°F | 9 mph | 0.5 ft | 3 | 8% | 76°F |
| Sat Nov 7 | Cloudy | 78°F | 8 mph | 0.7 ft | 5 | 5% | 76°F |
| Sun Nov 8 | Cloudy | 74°F | 9 mph | 1.2 ft | 5 | 11% | 75°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8731269. 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 12:37 AM 1.6 | Low 12:41 PM 0.3 | — | — | 11:26 AM–1:26 PM · best |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 1:23 AM 1.4 | Low 12:38 PM 0.5 | — | — | 11:23 AM–1:23 PM |
| Wed Nov 4 | High 1:51 AM 1.1 | Low 4:01 AM 1.0 | High 6:07 AM 1.1 | Low 11:22 AM 0.7 | 10:07 AM–12:07 PM |
| Thu Nov 5 | Low 3:56 AM 0.7 | High 7:40 AM 0.9 | Low 11:00 AM 0.8 | High 7:08 PM 1.3 | 9:45 AM–11:45 AM |
| Fri Nov 6 | Low 3:49 AM 0.5 | High 6:59 PM 1.5 | — | — | — |
| Sat Nov 7 | Low 4:08 AM 0.3 | High 6:37 PM 1.6 | — | — | — |
| Sun Nov 8 | Low 4:35 AM 0.1 | High 6:51 PM 1.8 | — | — | — |
The average sea temperature at Gulf Shores for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in August (88°F) and coolest in January (59°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in May, June, July, August, September, October.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59°F | 15°C | Cold |
| February | 61°F | 16°C | Chilly |
| March | 67°F | 20°C | Chilly |
| April | 71°F | 22°C | Cool |
| May | 79°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| June | 84°F | 29°C | Warm |
| July | 87°F | 31°C | Very warm |
| August | 88°F | 31°C | Very warm |
| September | 85°F | 29°C | Warm |
| October | 78°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
| November (now) | 71°F | 22°C | Cool |
| December | 64°F | 18°C | Chilly |
Rip currents. Today’s National Weather Service rip current risk is high. 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 5 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Stingers. Portuguese man o' war: likely today. 12 mph E wind onshore for most of the day so far.
Dogs. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.
Weather alerts in effect: Rip Current Statement.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Gulf Shores 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. Today at Gulf Shores it’s rough.
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 Gulf Shores 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.
75°F (24°C), 4°F warmer than the usual 71°F for November.
At 75°F the water is comfortable for swimming. Waves are 4–5 ft, which is rough. The rip current risk is high.
4–5 ft, which is rough. The wind is 13 mph from the E.
High tide is at 12:37 AM, and low tide is at 12:41 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 5 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
The National Weather Service rates the rip current risk at Gulf Shores high today. If a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it, then swim back in.
Conditions today make portuguese man o' war likely.
Highs run 73–80°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Fri Nov 6.
The water at Gulf Shores averages about 71°F (22°C) in November.
August is the warmest month, averaging 88°F. January is the coolest, at 59°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from May, June, July, August, September and October. August is the warmest, at 88°F.
The usual water temperature in November at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Orange Beach conditions | 8 mi | 71°F |
|---|---|---|
| Perdido Key conditions | 16 mi | 71°F |
| Dauphin Island conditions | 23 mi | 70°F |
| Pensacola Beach conditions | 33 mi | 72°F |
| Fort Walton Beach conditions | 65 mi | 72°F |
| Biloxi conditions | 72 mi | 69°F |
More for Gulf Shores: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →