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Rule Dramatic Seascapes

Cape Cod - Dramatic Seascapes - New England, USA

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States

Dramatic coastal photography conditions - powerful waves combined with atmospheric drama and good visibility for seascape shots.

No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Dramatic Seascapes opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Coastal Drama Score · ≥ 75.0% Significant Wave Height · ≥ 1.5m Visibility · ≥ 5000.0m Wind Gusts · ≤ 22.0m/s

Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Coastal Drama Score 100% failing
Significant Wave Height 100% failing
Precipitation Chance 44% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions
Wave Height0.4m
Swell Height0.4m
Wind Speed7.3m/s (moderate winds)
Cloud Cover0%

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/New_York

No opportunities in the next 10 days

See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast tracks the dramatic conditions that make the Maine coast and Cape Cod world-class seascape photography destinations. We combine wave height, wind patterns, and storm systems to predict when the rocky New England shoreline will come alive with crashing waves and moody atmosphere.

New England's coastline—especially Maine's rocky shores—creates some of North America's most dramatic seascapes. Cold North Atlantic waters meet granite cliffs, creating powerful wave action. Historic lighthouses perched on headlands add iconic human elements to wild natural drama.

What makes New England coastal photography exceptional:

  • Acadia granite coast - Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, and Schoodic Point where waves explode against pink granite
  • Lighthouse drama - Portland Head Light, Nubble Light, and dozens more frame seascapes with maritime history
  • Nor'easter storms - Autumn and winter storms bring massive waves and dramatic skies to the entire coastline
  • Cape Cod exposure - The Cape juts far into the Atlantic, catching dramatic weather from all directions

Best conditions occur during and after nor'easter storms, typically October through March. These powerful low-pressure systems bring huge waves, dramatic skies, and often spectacular light during clearing phases. Safety is critical—rogue waves can sweep exposed rocks. Our forecast helps you time visits for drama without excessive danger.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 79 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
America/New_York
Coastal Drama Score
≥ 75.0%
Significant Wave Height
≥ 1.5m
Visibility
≥ 5000.0m
Wind Gusts
≤ 22.0m/s
Precipitation Chance
≤ 30.0%
Wed, Jul 8
01:008.7%0.6m24134m13m/s66%
02:004.3%0.41m24135m14m/s69%
03:004.6%0.46m24134m14m/s49%
04:0025%0.52m24135m12m/s25%
05:0025%0.57m24134m11m/s0%
06:0028%0.62m24134m11m/s13%
07:0018%0.68m24134m12m/s26%
08:009%0.01m24134m12m/s39%
09:006.9%0.01m24134m10m/s26%
10:005.7%0.01m24135m10m/s13%
11:005.7%0.01m24135m11m/s0%
12:005.7%0.02m24135m9.2m/s0%
13:006.5%0.03m24135m8.2m/s0%
14:006.3%0.04m24134m6.3m/s0%
15:006.1%0.04m24134m5.4m/s0%
16:008.4%0.05m24134m4.5m/s0%
17:0011%0.05m24135m3.6m/s0%
18:008.4%0.05m24134m3.1m/s0%
19:009.4%0.06m24134m2.1m/s0%
20:0010%0.06m24135m3.1m/s0%
21:009.3%0.05m24135m6.6m/s0%
22:003.2%0.04m24135m7.9m/s0%
23:004.3%0.03m24134m9.3m/s0%
Thu, Jul 9
24:003.5%0.03m24134m11m/s0%
01:003.5%0.02m24134m12m/s0%
02:004.4%0.02m24135m12m/s0%
03:003.1%0.02m24135m12m/s0%
04:008.9%0.02m24134m13m/s0%
05:0011%0.02m24135m12m/s0%
06:0010%0.02m24134m12m/s0%
07:008.7%0.03m24135m11m/s0%
08:008.1%0.03m24135m8.9m/s0%
09:0011%0.05m24134m8.2m/s0%
10:009%0.07m24135m8.1m/s0%
11:006.5%0.09m24135m8m/s0%
12:008.2%0.13m24134m7.9m/s0%
13:005.4%0.16m24135m8.2m/s0%
14:005.8%0.2m24135m9.9m/s0%
15:006.8%0.17m24134m11m/s7.4%
16:006.8%0.13m24135m12m/s15%
17:007.6%0.1m24135m12m/s22%
18:009.6%0.08m24135m14m/s20%
19:0014%0.06m24135m14m/s19%
20:0016%0.04m24135m14m/s17%
21:008.3%0.03m24135m14m/s24%
22:002.9%0.03m24135m14m/s31%
23:003.2%0.02m24134m13m/s39%
Fri, Jul 10
24:003.2%0.02m23455m13m/s48%
01:002.6%0.02m9979m12m/s57%
02:003.2%0.02m22547m12m/s65%
03:003.2%0.02m21586m10m/s56%
04:005.5%0.01m6546m8.4m/s47%
05:006.2%0.01m7290m7.5m/s37%
06:005.8%0.01m8404m6.3m/s39%
07:003%0.01m4466m5.1m/s40%
08:004.2%0.01m6252m3.5m/s42%
09:008.4%0.02m24135m3.3m/s36%
10:005.4%0.04m24134m3m/s30%
11:003.5%0.05m3050m4.3m/s24%
12:005.5%0.04m2936m4.2m/s27%
13:004.6%0.04m2941m4.2m/s30%
14:007.4%0.03m3142m4.6m/s33%
15:0012%0.05m8526m5.4m/s49%
16:008.2%0.08m13910m6.3m/s65%
17:007.4%0.1m19294m7.1m/s82%
18:008.4%0.09m20908m6.8m/s85%
19:0010%0.07m22521m6.5m/s87%
20:009%0.06m24135m6.2m/s90%
21:0016%0.07m24135m4.8m/s70%
22:005.4%0.08m24135m3.4m/s49%
23:004.6%0.09m24135m1.9m/s28%
Sat, Jul 11
24:002.5%0.1m24135m1.7m/s52%
01:002.5%0.12m24135m1.4m/s76%
02:002.5%0.13m24135m1.1m/s100%
03:005.3%0.14m24135m1.9m/s100%
04:003.8%0.14m24135m2.7m/s100%
05:006.9%0.15m24135m3.4m/s100%
06:006.4%0.16m24135m4.8m/s100%
07:005.4%0.16m24135m6.2m/s100%
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Coastal Drama Score mean?

Inputs that drive the score

This derived score summarizes multiple raw weather signals. The table below shows the supporting inputs hour by hour, so you can see what's pushing the score up or down.

Time
America/New_York
High Clouds
%
Low Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Primary Swell Height
m
Primary Wave Direction
°
Sea Salt AOD (550nm)
Solar Elevation
°
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Wind Direction
°
Wind Speed
m/s
Wind Wave Height
m
Wind Wave Period
s
Wed, Jul 8 Sunrise 05:14 Sunset 20:17
10:00
0% 0% 0% 0.36m 173° 0.02 50° 0% 15° 7.3m/s 0.09m 7.2s
11:00
0% 0% 0% 0.36m 172° 0.01 61° 0% 7.5m/s 0.1m 7.2s
12:00
0% 0% 0% 0.35m 170° 0.01 68° 0% 6.4m/s 0.09m 7.4s
13:00
0% 0% 0% 0.34m 169° 0.009 71° 0% 359° 5.9m/s 0.09m 7.6s
14:00
0% 0% 0% 0.33m 167° 0.008 65° 0% 4.3m/s 0.08m 7.8s
15:00
4% 0% 0% 0.32m 167° 0.008 56° 4% 3.8m/s 0.08m 7.8s
16:00
17% 0% 0% 0.3m 166° 0.008 45° 17% 14° 3.2m/s 0.09m 7.8s
17:00
51% 0% 0% 0.29m 165° 0.008 34° 51% 35° 2.7m/s 0.09m 7.8s
18:00
94% 0% 0% 0.27m 166° 0.009 23° 94% 62° 2.7m/s 0.09m 7.7s
19:00
5% 0% 0% 0.26m 166° 0.009 12° 5% 107° 1.8m/s 0.09m 7.6s
20:00
5% 0% 0% 0.24m 167° 0.01 2.3° 5% 198° 2.3m/s 0.09m 7.5s
21:00
0% 0% 0% 0.23m 167° 0.01 -7.3° 0% 201° 3.2m/s 0.08m 7.4s
22:00
5% 0% 0% 0.22m 168° 0.009 -15° 5% 206° 3.7m/s 0.08m 7.3s
23:00
71% 0% 0% 0.21m 169° 0.009 -21° 71% 215° 3.8m/s 0.07m 7.2s
Thu, Jul 9 Sunrise 05:15 Sunset 20:16
24:00
8% 0% 0% 0.21m 171° 0.008 -25° 8% 220° 3.9m/s 0.08m 7.1s
01:00
19% 0% 0% 0.2m 172° 0.007 -26° 19% 232° 5m/s 0.09m 7.1s
02:00
62% 0% 0% 0.2m 174° 0.006 -24° 62% 236° 5.3m/s 0.1m 7s
03:00
4% 0% 0% 0.19m 174° 0.006 -19° 4% 240° 4.8m/s 0.13m 6.9s
04:00
2% 0% 0% 0.19m 175° 0.005 -12° 2% 245° 5m/s 0.15m 6.9s
05:00
0% 0% 0% 0.18m 175° 0.005 -3.1° 0% 247° 5.1m/s 0.18m 6.8s
06:00
0% 0% 0% 0.18m 179° 0.005 6.7° 0% 249° 5.1m/s 0.21m 5.7s
07:00
0% 0% 0% 0.17m 184° 0.005 17° 0% 250° 4.7m/s 0.23m 4.5s
08:00
5% 0% 0% 0.17m 188° 0.005 28° 5% 250° 5.2m/s 0.26m 3.4s
09:00
36% 0% 0% 0.18m 191° 0.005 39° 36% 251° 4.9m/s 0.31m 3.4s
10:00
43% 0% 0% 0.2m 193° 0.005 50° 43% 246° 5m/s 0.36m 3.3s
11:00
10% 1% 0% 0.21m 196° 0.005 61° 10% 243° 5.3m/s 0.41m 3.3s
12:00
21% 0% 0% 0.17m 197° 0.007 68° 21% 234° 5.7m/s 0.45m 3.2s
13:00
5% 0% 0% 0.12m 198° 0.008 70° 5% 225° 6.3m/s 0.5m 3.1s
14:00
6% 0% 0% 0.08m 199° 0.009 65° 6% 221° 7.5m/s 0.54m 3.1s
15:00
88% 0% 35% 0.1m 196° 0.008 56° 89% 221° 7.9m/s 0.51m 3.2s
16:00
97% 0% 98% 0.11m 193° 0.009 45° 99% 223° 7.8m/s 0.49m 3.3s
17:00
5% 0% 19% 0.13m 190° 0.01 34° 19% 221° 7.7m/s 0.46m 3.4s
18:00
20% 0% 5% 0.13m 188° 0.01 23° 20% 219° 7.9m/s 0.43m 3.3s
19:00
5% 0% 49% 0.14m 187° 0.01 12° 49% 222° 7.3m/s 0.4m 3.3s
20:00
5% 0% 48% 0.14m 185° 0.01 2.2° 48% 223° 6.8m/s 0.37m 3.2s
21:00
100% 0% 5% 0.14m 185° - -7.4° 100% 219° 6.7m/s 0.34m 3.1s
22:00
100% 0% 80% 0.13m 184° - -15° 100% 228° 6.3m/s 0.32m 3s
23:00
84% 18% 100% 0.13m 184° - -21° 100% 231° 5.9m/s 0.29m 3s
Fri, Jul 10 Sunrise 05:16 Sunset 20:16
24:00
92% 31% 100% 0.12m 184° - -25° 100% 234° 5.6m/s 0.28m 3.1s
01:00
24% 83% 95% 0.12m 183° - -26° 99% 233° 5.3m/s 0.26m 3.2s
02:00
100% 77% 100% 0.11m 182° - -24° 100% 219° 5.1m/s 0.25m 3.4s
03:00
85% 100% 100% 0.14m 184° - -19° 100% 220° 4.6m/s 0.19m 3.6s
04:00
100% 40% 100% 0.18m 186° - -12° 100% 214° 4m/s 0.12m 3.8s
05:00
100% 44% 88% 0.21m 187° - -3.2° 100% 206° 3.8m/s 0.06m 4.1s
06:00
84% 56% 100% 0.21m 188° - 6.6° 100% 220° 3.3m/s 0.06m 4.2s
07:00
100% 99% 100% 0.21m 188° - 17° 100% 244° 2.9m/s 0.06m 4.3s
08:00
100% 70% 14% 0.21m 188° - 28° 100% 261° 2.1m/s 0.06m 4.4s
09:00
63% 38% 0% 0.27m 191° - 39° 67% 276° 2m/s 0.06m 5.3s
10:00
92% 11% 0% 0.33m 193° - 50° 92% 286° 1.9m/s 0.05m 6.1s
11:00
5% 39% 5% 0.39m 196° - 60° 39% 341° 3.2m/s 0.05m 7s
12:00
52% 46% 5% 0.49m 196° - 68° 55% 4.5m/s 0.17m 6.1s
13:00
18% 47% 4% 0.59m 196° - 70° 47% 11° 4.4m/s 0.3m 5.3s
14:00
4% 49% 5% 0.69m 197° - 65° 49% 22° 4.5m/s 0.42m 4.4s
15:00
36% 58% 37% 0.62m 198° - 56° 66% 34° 5m/s 0.41m 4.5s
16:00
68% 67% 68% 0.54m 199° - 45° 83% 45° 5.5m/s 0.41m 4.5s
17:00
100% 76% 100% 0.47m 200° - 34° 100% 57° 6m/s 0.4m 4.6s
18:00
100% 84% 100% 0.45m 199° - 23° 100% 76° 5.9m/s 0.38m 5.2s
19:00
100% 92% 100% 0.43m 197° - 12° 100% 95° 5.8m/s 0.35m 5.7s
20:00
100% 100% 100% 0.41m 195° - 2.1° 100% 114° 5.7m/s 0.33m 6.3s
21:00
66% 67% 68% 0.4m 195° - -7.4° 68% 97° 4.4m/s 0.26m 6.2s
22:00
33% 33% 35% 0.4m 195° - -15° 35% 80° 3.1m/s 0.19m 6.2s
23:00
0% 0% 3% 0.39m 195° - -22° 3% 63° 1.9m/s 0.12m 6.1s
Sat, Jul 11 Sunrise 05:16 Sunset 20:15
24:00
0% 1% 2% 0.37m 199° - -25° 3% 55° 1.6m/s 0.14m 5.4s
01:00
0% 1% 1% 0.35m 203° - -26° 2% 48° 1.4m/s 0.17m 4.8s
02:00
0% 2% 0% 0.33m 207° - -24° 2% 40° 1.2m/s 0.19m 4.1s
03:00
33% 1% 0% 0.32m 206° - -19° 35% 32° 1.5m/s 0.23m 4.2s
04:00
67% 1% 0% 0.3m 205° - -12° 67% 24° 1.9m/s 0.27m 4.3s
05:00
100% 0% 0% 0.29m 204° - -3.4° 100% 15° 2.2m/s 0.31m 4.4s
06:00
100% 4% 0% 0.28m 202° - 6.5° 100% 20° 4m/s 0.32m 4.5s
07:00
100% 8% 0% 0.28m 201° - 17° 100% 25° 5.8m/s 0.32m 4.5s
08:00
100% 12% 0% 0.27m 200° - 28° 100% 30° 7.6m/s 0.33m 4.6s
09:00
100% 8% 0% 0.26m 198° - 39° 100% 32° 8m/s 0.3m 4.6s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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