Occurs more often in spring and early summer when conditions associated with upwelling exist in the western part of the channel. Relaxation Drifters seeded in the northeastern part of the channel are swept into a poleward current which appears concentrated over the shelf. Conception, several of the drifters remain close to the coast, continuing poleward along the central California coast. Occurs more frequently in late fall and early winter, when the equatorward winds have relaxed. Cyclonic Intense cyclonic circulation with only weak flow out of the channel.
Some deployments suggest a cyclonic eddy which migrates towards the western entrance.