Chatham Edition

Cape Cod Fun Times

Marconi Beach shoreline in Wellfleet with dunes and Atlantic surf
Marconi Beach sets the surf bar for today: pretty, bright, and very small.

Soft Surf, Fine Golf, Sticky Miles

Today is a light-air Cape day with small surf at Marconi, strong sun, and a good early window for golf or running before the humidity becomes the story. The next few mornings turn from comfortable to hot quickly, so Tuesday looks like the cleanest tee-time and run window.

Surf
Low tide around 7:08 AM and 6:51 PM using NOAA Chatham as the Atlantic-side proxy.
Paddle
Forest Beach is a good SUP/kayak call today: light 3-8 mph winds and no rain signal.
Golf
Today scores 90/100, excellent, with 59-76 F morning temperatures and no rain risk.
Run
Good, not great: cool start, but dew point pushes into the upper 60s by late morning.
Drive-In
Toy Story 5 at 8:35 PM, then Hoppers at 10:20 PM through Thursday, July 2.
OSV
Nauset Spit resident OSV area is posted open; Nauset South and North remain closed.
Ferries
Harwich and Falmouth island ferries are in summer schedules; light Sound winds today.
Baseball
Chatham Anglers next home game is Wednesday, July 1 vs. Cotuit at 7:00 PM.

Things Happening This Week

All Week / Chatham

Art In The Park & Oars In The Stores

Chatham's summer art hunt is already running: whales and sharks painted by local artists are displayed at Kate Gould Park, and the Oars in the Stores scavenger hunt continues around town.

Chatham event details

Daily / Chatham

Free Morning Matinees

Chatham Orpheum lists free family-friendly morning matinees every day through Labor Day. Doors open at 9:00 AM and the movie starts at 9:30 AM.

Matinee listing

Wed Jul 1 / Harwich Port

Port Summer Nights

Harwich Port Summer Nights starts its July run on Wednesday from 5:00-8:00 PM, with music, street energy, and the chamber's popcorn crew back out front.

Harwich lineup

Thu Jul 2 / Chatham & Orleans

Early Fireworks Night

Cape Cod Chamber lists Chatham fireworks at Veterans Field with activities starting at 6:00 PM, patriotic songs at 8:00 PM, and fireworks at 9:00 PM. Orleans/Rock Harbor fireworks are also posted for July 2.

Cape Cod July 4 roundup

Sat Jul 4 / Chatham & Wellfleet

Morning Parade Circuit

Chatham's Independence Day parade starts at 9:30 AM along Main Street. Wellfleet's hometown parade has classic cars at 9:30 AM and floats at 10:00 AM from the Town Pier.

Wellfleet parade details

Sat Jul 4 / Provincetown

Commercial Street & Harbor

Provincetown posts its July 4 parade for 11:00 AM down Commercial Street, with harbor fireworks at dusk. Make this the full-day outer Cape option if you want a bigger scene.

Provincetown holiday listing

Mon Jun 29 / Provincetown

Outer Cape Chamber Music

Ptownie lists the Outer Cape Chamber Music Festival's Goldberg Variations program at PAAM at 6:00 PM, a quieter arts counterpoint to the holiday-week buildup.

Concert details

This Week / Cape League

Baseball Check-In

Cape League schedules shift quickly with weather. Chatham Anglers list a Tuesday 5:00 PM game at Yarmouth-Dennis; use the team pages for same-day home/away checks.

Chatham Anglers schedule

Chatham Anglers Watch

How They Are Doing

The Anglers have turned the season around after an 0-4 start. The official results stream shows Chatham going 7-1-1 since then, including recent wins over Harwich, Hyannis, and Wareham. The Cape League standings list Chatham at 7-5-1, third in the East Division table on Monday, June 29, with a W3 streak and a +18 run differential.

Short version: Yarmouth-Dennis is still the class of the division, but Chatham has moved from cold start to legitimate East Division chase group.

Upcoming Home Games

Date Opponent First Pitch
Wed Jul 1 Cotuit at Chatham 7:00 PM
Sat Jul 4 Orleans at Chatham 7:00 PM
Tue Jul 7 Wareham at Chatham 7:00 PM
Fri Jul 10 Brewster at Chatham 7:00 PM
Sun Jul 12 Orleans at Chatham 7:00 PM

Home games are at Veterans Field. Cape League schedules can shift for weather, so use the Anglers schedule link for same-day confirmation.

Marconi Beach, Wellfleet

Surf Call

Tiny and clean-ish. Open-Meteo marine data shows wave height holding near 0.9 ft through the daylight hours, with southeast swell around 0.7-0.8 ft at roughly 6 seconds. That is better for a swim, skim, or long beach walk than a serious board session.

Wind stays light, averaging about 4 mph with gusts near 10 mph. UV peaks near 8, so the pleasant morning setup still needs sun discipline.

Board Call

Bring foam and volume. A long foam board, soft-top log, or wide beginner board has the best chance of catching the small, short-period lines. A mid-length with generous volume might slide into a few, but this is not a shortboard day unless the goal is paddling practice and humility.

Tide Board

Event Time Height
Low 7:08 AM -0.24 ft
High 12:52 PM 4.27 ft
Low 6:51 PM 0.47 ft

Tide times use NOAA station 8447435, Chatham, as the Atlantic-side proxy. Wellfleet Harbor tides are on the bay side and do not match Marconi as closely.

Boogie Board Bureau

For the wimpy surfers, this is friendly bodyboard territory: small waves, light wind, and enough shorebreak texture to mess around without committing to a real paddle-out. Best window is around the lower-tide shoulders, with fins if you want to catch more than the reform.

Tue Jun 30

Marginal

Low tides: 7:49 AM and 7:31 PM. Surf: 0.9-1.8 ft, averaging near 1.2 ft with roughly 6-second energy. Wind: about 10 mph with gusts near 25 mph.

Best for foam boards, patient longboards, and bodyboards around the lower tide windows.

Wed Jul 1

Tiny / Blown Around

Low tides: 8:28 AM and 8:12 PM. Surf: 1.9-2.4 ft, but short-period wind energy around 4 seconds. Wind: around 23 mph with gusts near 40 mph.

More size on paper, worse shape in practice. Skip unless you want wind-battered exercise.

Thu Jul 2

Marginal

Low tides: 9:05 AM and 8:52 PM. Surf: 1.3-1.9 ft with short 4-second periods. Wind: around 9 mph, gusts near 14 mph.

Cleaner than Wednesday but still weak. Long foam board or bodyboard is the practical call.

Fri Jul 3

Marginal

Low tides: 9:41 AM and 9:33 PM. Surf: 0.9-1.6 ft, averaging near 1.2 ft with short-period swell. Wind: near 9 mph, gusts around 14 mph.

Small holiday-week beach play. Better for kids, foam, and boogie boards than shortboards.

Forest Beach, South Chatham

Today: Good Paddle Day

Forest Beach gets the friendliest water-window call today. Open-Meteo's Forest Beach forecast keeps daytime wind light, averaging about 6 mph from 7:00 AM through early evening, topping out near 8 mph with gusts under 10 mph. Rain risk is effectively zero.

Best use is a relaxed SUP or kayak session in the morning through midday, before beach traffic and afternoon sun become the bigger nuisance. Wear a PFD, watch the offshore drift, and treat the Sound side as calmer, not consequence-free.

Paddle rating: good means sustained wind mostly under 8 mph; caution means 9-13 mph or gusty; bad means mid-teen sustained wind, strong gusts, storms, or poor visibility.

Tide & Wind Board

Item Today Read
Low Tide 7:08 AM / 6:51 PM Low-water shoulders are good for beach launch awareness.
High Tide 12:52 PM Midday gives the easiest water over shallow edges.
Wind 3-8 mph, gusts under 10 mph Good for casual SUP and kayak plans.
Weather 65-81 F daytime, 0% rain Sun management matters more than chop today.

Tides use NOAA station 8447435, Chatham, as the closest available tide proxy for this daily brief. Forest Beach conditions can still differ around shoals, creek mouths, and localized sea breeze.

Tue Jun 30

Caution

Tides: lows around 7:49 AM and 7:31 PM; high around 1:31 PM. Wind: SW/S breeze builds from 8-10 mph in the morning toward 16 mph, gusting near 23 mph later.

Usable early for experienced paddlers. Less friendly once the southwesterly fills in.

Wed Jul 1

Bad

Tides: highs at 1:24 AM and 2:09 PM; lows at 8:28 AM and 8:12 PM. Wind: SW around 18-19 mph with gusts near 39 mph and rain risk around 34%.

Skip casual SUP/kayak plans. This is a wind-management day, not a relaxed paddle.

Thu Jul 2

Good Early / Hot

Tides: lows around 9:05 AM and 8:52 PM; highs around 2:00 AM and 2:45 PM. Wind: mostly 7-10 mph, gusts up to 16 mph.

Wind is workable, but heat is the limiter. Paddle early, bring water, and avoid the peak sun.

Fri Jul 3

Caution

Tides: highs at 2:36 AM and 3:21 PM; lows at 9:41 AM and 9:33 PM. Wind: 9-11 mph early, gusts near 20 mph, with a 26% rain risk.

Possible early, but watch gusts and holiday traffic. Kayaks handle this better than tall SUPs.

Golf Forecast

Scale: 100 starts as perfect. Penalties apply for temperatures outside 60-80 F, dew point above 65 F, precipitation risk, and wind over 12 mph. 85+ is excellent, 70-84 good, 55-69 playable, below 55 rough.

Mon Jun 29

90 / Excellent

59-76 F, dew point to 68 F, rain 0%, light wind. Best before lunch.

Tue Jun 30

99 / Excellent

64-70 F, dew point near 65 F, rain 1%, modest breeze. Best golf morning.

Wed Jul 1

68 / Playable

67-83 F, rain risk 34%, wind near 19 mph with stronger gusts.

Thu Jul 2

52 / Rough

75-89 F by late morning, dew point near 73 F. Heat becomes the hazard.

Cape Running Index

Run ratings follow the morning-brief rule: assume 3-9 miles at 10-minute pace, so the runner may be outside for 30-90 minutes after starting. Ratings are great, good, ok, or ugh based on rain risk, dew point, humidity, and heat across the full window.

Good Today

Best start: 5:00-6:30 AM. 59-76 F, dew point up to 68 F, no rain.

Good Tuesday

Best start: 5:00-7:00 AM. 64-67 F, dew point 64 F, no rain, damp air.

Ok Wednesday

Best start: as early as possible. Rain risk 34%, wind is the limiter.

Ugh Thursday

Only short and early. 75-84 F in-window, dew point near 73 F.

Nauset Oversand Status

What Is Open

Orleans posts the Nauset Spit "Residents" over-sand vehicle area as open beginning at sunrise Friday, June 12. The town asks drivers to park perpendicular to the water, keep their beach footprint small, and maintain 15 PSI, which it says is strictly enforced.

Translation for today: access exists, but it is not a wide-open outer-beach day. Treat the open Spit area as limited-capacity resident OSV access and check the town push alerts before airing down.

Restrictions

Area Posted Status Reason / Rule
Nauset Spit Resident OSV area open 15 PSI required; park perpendicular; minimize footprint.
Nauset South Closed to over-sand vehicles Protection of unfledged piping plover chicks.
Nauset North Closed to OSV access Town cites absence of drivable beach.

Status is from Orleans town notices posted May 26 and June 12, 2026. Beach access can change quickly with nesting activity, tides, erosion, and daily trail checks.

Ferry Weather & Operating Notes

Operating notes use posted seasonal ferry schedules. Weather uses the 10:04 AM EDT NWS Boston coastal waters forecast for Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Sound.

Harwich Port to Nantucket

Freedom Cruise Line is in its summer schedule, June 27 through September 7. Posted trips depart Harwich at 8:00 AM, 11:30 AM, and 5:45 PM; return trips depart Nantucket at 9:30 AM, 4:10 PM, and 7:30 PM. The crossing is listed as less than 80 minutes.

Nantucket Sound today is gentle but fog-aware: this afternoon NW wind around 5 kt becoming NE, seas around 2 ft, patchy fog with 1-3 NM visibility. Tonight seas fall to 1 ft or less, but patchy fog may drop visibility to 1 NM or less.

Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard

Island Queen is in its summer schedule, June 19 through September 7, with daily Falmouth-to-Oak Bluffs sailings at 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, and 6:00 PM, plus posted evening sailings on selected days. Falmouth-Edgartown Ferry also posts seasonal service from Falmouth Inner Harbor to Memorial Wharf, with a 45-minute ride and weather-change notices handled through bookings.

Vineyard Sound is also friendly today: NW wind around 5 kt becoming SE, seas around 2 ft; tonight S wind around 5 kt with seas easing to 1 ft or less after evening. Watch for patchy fog after midnight. Tuesday afternoon turns breezier with SW gusts to 20 kt; Wednesday on Vineyard Sound may gust to 30 kt with 3-4 ft seas.

Wellfleet Drive-In Schedule

Wellfleet Drive-In sixtieth anniversary logo

Box office opens at 6:30 PM; the current official drive-in listing runs Monday, June 29 through Thursday, July 2. The site says all schedules are subject to change and no next-week run is posted in the public listing.

Date First Feature Second Feature
Jun 29-Jul 2 Toy Story 5, PG, 8:35 PM Hoppers, PG, 10:20 PM

Short synopses: Toy Story 5 continues Pixar's toy-box adventure with Woody, Buzz, and friends facing a new playroom-era challenge. Hoppers is Pixar's animal-body-swap comedy about a young human testing tech that lets her communicate from inside a robotic animal body.

Extended Four-Day Forecast

Tue Jun 30

Cleanest Day Ahead

Weather: 64-71 F, rain risk 6%, UV near 8. Morning dew point around 64-65 F.

Best bets: Excellent golf, good early running, and reasonable ferry conditions. Marconi surf remains small, building from about 0.9 ft toward 1.8 ft later in the day.

Wed Jul 1

Wind Enters The Story

Weather: 66-86 F, rain risk 34%, UV near 8. Morning winds average around 19 mph with gusts near 39 mph in the Chatham forecast.

Best bets: Running is only ok and golf is playable at best. Ferry riders should watch marine updates: Vineyard Sound may see SW gusts to 30 kt and 3-4 ft seas.

Thu Jul 2

Hot And Sticky

Weather: 72-95 F, rain risk 16%, dew point rising near 73 F, UV near 8.

Best bets: Short early outings only. Running rates ugh, golf rates rough by late morning, and beach shade becomes more important than the breeze.

Fri Jul 3

Holiday Heat Lingers

Weather: 75-94 F, rain risk 26%, dew point near 71 F, UV near 8.

Best bets: Ferry and beach plans look more promising than hard exercise. Keep the running window very early, and treat afternoon activity as heat-managed.