A magnitude 4.6 earthquake jolted Northern California early Thursday, centered one kilometer southeast of Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The quake hit at 1:41 a.m. PDT, or 8:41 a.m. UTC, at a depth of about 10.4 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The tremor, initially reported at magnitude 4.9 or higher before revision, produced moderate shaking in Boulder Creek and nearby areas like Brookdale, Ben Lomond, and Felton, reaching Modified Mercalli Intensity VI. Light shaking extended across the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Hayward, and Mountain View, and reached as far north as Sacramento and south toward Soledad.

No injuries or fatalities occurred, and officials reported no significant structural damage. Minor incidents included items falling from shelves at Boulder Creek Drug Store and a mirror toppling in one resident's home. CAL FIRE in the CZU unit inspected buildings and found no issues, while the Governor's Office of Emergency Services confirmed no damage reports.

Residents described a loud rumble and sudden jolt that woke them from sleep. Jenna Lupertino, owner of Jenna Sue's Cafe in Boulder Creek, recounted jumping out of bed and checking on her daughter amid ongoing inner tremors for 15 to 20 minutes. Shake alerts reached cellphones across the region.

As of early afternoon PDT, no aftershocks of magnitude 2.5 or greater had followed. USGS seismologist Robert de Groot noted a roughly 40 percent chance of a magnitude 3.0 or larger aftershock in the coming week, with lower odds for stronger events. The agency estimated a 56 percent chance for a magnitude 3.0-plus aftershock and 12 percent for a magnitude 4.0-plus over seven days.

The event occurred along the San Andreas Fault system, common in seismically active California. Such quakes serve as reminders of the state's vulnerability, though economic losses and risks remained minimal here.