Tides and the Weather

[yachtalba]

I have just been told by an old Orcadian that the tide has an affect on the weather. While I know the weather has an effect on the timing and height of tides, I have never heard it the other way around. Any one got any further details?

 

[shmoo]

In Cornwall when I was a child my mother used to say "the sea fret comes in with the tide and goes out with the tide". You should understand that she pointed this out whenever it happened to be true, but was silent on the matter whenever it wasn't (most of the time). This seems to be the pattern for most old wives' tales.

<edit>By the way - welcome to the forum!</edit>

 

[MoodySabre]

Around here the very local weather on land near the water is often affected by tides. This is due to the tide going out about a mile. When the tide comes in the weather seems to change - perhaps the warm mud being covered changes the onshore breezes. This is just a casual observation and I have no idea if it changes much on the water.

 

[AliM]

It seems to be the subject of Old Wives Tales, but that doesn't mean it's not true. I'd be interested to hear what a real meterological expert has to say - Simon Keeling - can you comment?

After all, the moon and sun's gravitational forces move huge amounts of water around, so they must have similar effects on the atmosphere. Whether or how that couples into the weather systems, or if the effects are overwhelmed by all the other forces (pressure and temperature gradients, the earth's gravitational forces etc) I have no idea.

 

[colingr]

Presumable the moon exerts a gravitational pull un the atmosphere as well as on the sea so there will be some lunar effect on the weather. Can Simon elucidate?

Rats, Lakesailored

 

[Pye_End]

I have a feeling that this came up in one of the magazines a few years ago and was de-bunked.

However, it seems all too often that the tide turns and the wind changes (not just the sea state or apparent wind), so am not quite so quick to dismiss.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Short answer is I don't know. BUT, it seems plausible that the tide on large estuary could have an effect on local water temperature twice daily which may in turn have an effect on the local micro climate (eg. dew point temp, etc).

 

[Hyperborean]

Yes the tides can affect the weather albeit slightly. There is a good example here in Orkney which may explain the remark in the initial posting. In conditions of sea fog, which requires a very moist air mass and a sea temperature below the dew point, the very small difference between the temperature of the flood and the ebb tides can sometimes provoke either the formation or clearance of the fog. I've seen it happen.