Tides in Island County
In general, our area has two high tides, and two low tides per day. Their timing shifts a bit later each day. In the summer, our lowest tides are during the day, in winter they are at night.
You can purchase an inexpensive pocket-sized Tide Guide at most hardware stores in Island County. Look for one with a graphical view of the low and high tides in addition to the tabular listing; it will give you a better understanding of how the tides vary over a month.
NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmosphereic Administration) provides a wealth of information on tides.
Graphical Views of Tides (NOAA)
In these graphical views, you can get a vivid view of how high and low tides vary over time. Just set the Begin Date to the first of the month, the End Date to the end of the month, and click on [View Plot] at the bottom of the page.
Tabular listings of tides (NOAA)
- PORT TOWNSEND - 2008 Predictions, by Month
- SEATTLE - 2008 Predictions by Month
- Use this google map of Island County to access listings per tidal substation.
Learning about the tides ...
To learn more about the tides:
- NOAA - Tides and Water Levels
- OR, sign up for Jan Holmes great talk on "Tides in the Salish Sea" at Sound Waters, February 2008
Other tide resources
- saltwatertides.com - website shows sunrise/set, moonrise/set and % moon visible.
- TideLog - book with wonderful illustrations.