WEATHER WATCH COLUMN:  DECEMBER 2003 ISSUE
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Weather Watch:  Predicting Tides

Tidal predictions based on the astronomical component generally err by
less than an hour in timing and less than a foot in height.  NOAA's
National Ocean Service is the government agency that makes predictions
for over 3000 stations at http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/tp4days.html.
Short-term effects like wind, precipitation, and fresh-water runoff
are not included in these tidal predictions and can affect the water
level, sometimes significantly.  For example, a strong wind with a
long fetch blowing toward an inlet will cause water to pile up,
locally raising water levels in the inlet higher than the astronomical
tides alone would predict.

<-David Schultz, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory>