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Weather Effecting Tides
Name: Emily S.
Status: N/A
Age: 15
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 11/21/2004
Question:
Does weather effect the movement of the tide?
Replies:
Emily,
The weather does have some effect on the tides.
When winds blow more strongly toward the shore or
water is pushed toward the shore by a storm over
the ocean, the tide water level will be higher
than if there was no wind.
When winds blow more strongly away from the shore or
water is pushed away from the shore by a storm over
the land, the tide water level will be lower
than if there was no wind.
Weather has little effect on the timing of the tides.
David R. Cook
Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Section
Environmental Research Division
Argonne National Laboratory
Dear Emily-
Yes, the weather does affect the tides, with the wind being the major
influence. Strong onshore winds can enhance the tidal level, and strong
offshore winds can diminish it. The effect is not the same along all the
coastline though. And hurricane-force winds can cause tidal differences of
more than 10 feet under the right conditions.
Wendell Bechtold, meteorologist
Forecaster, National Weather Service
Weather Forecast Office, St. Louis, MO
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Update: June 2012
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