Captains’ Choice: Weather and Tide Apps
As we approach mid-May, the river is starting to populate with boats of all shapes and sizes for anglers anticipating another solid season. The Mouths of the Merrimack River crew thought it would be a great idea to share some of our favorite apps and websites to check out marine weather forecasts. We don't just rely solely on one app but rather cross-reference multiple sources (and discuss amongst each other) to get a clear picture of what to expect. There are a few things to consider about checking the weather before getting into the apps.
When looking at wave height, consider the period (the time it takes between waves). My rule of thumb is the period should be at least double the wave height to be safe and three times the height to be comfortable. Three-foot waves at five seconds will be a rough, wet, pounding ride. Conversely, three-footers at twelve seconds will most likely be glass.
In our neck of the woods, the northeast wind can be a different animal. There is an old adage that if the forecast calls for winds 5 - 10 mph out of the NE, you should add those numbers together to get the actual speed, in this case, 15 mph.
I would also like to add that I use the free version of these apps and have not paid for the features of premium memberships.
Here are our favorite apps and websites to check out.
Windfinder: Windfinder is the first app I reach out for to get a general idea of the upcoming weather. It breaks down the time windows into three-hour increments, which is helpful when planning out the start and end times of your days. The app also tells us the wind speed, direction, weather, air temperature, wave height, and wave period. I find Windfinder's weather and wind more accurate than their sea state.
Fish Weather: Fishweather is a great resource and one of the most accurate I have found to give you wind speed and direction. I use the "Forecast Map" most. It gives you a map of the area with the wind speed and direction overlayed with colors representing speed and arrows representing direction. Like Windfinder, it has weather breakdowns in three hours increments. This app is handy for running offshore to find daily weather windows. Knowing when the wind is coming from a favorable direction and speed (or when it isn't) allows me to plan my trips in a time range to make the day most enjoyable and safe.
Buoy Weather: Buoy weather is an excellent resource with accurate wind info, but its ability to forecast wave heights and periods is the shining attribute. In addition to weather breakdowns every four hours, they also have breakdowns for the dominant wave heights and periods. I find their wave information to be the most accurate. The only issue with Buoy Weather, if you use the free version, is it will only allow you to look at today and tomorrow. Buoy Weather is great to check the day before and the day of the trip to confirm what the other apps are showing.
MyRadar: A great app to look at approaching storms via radar. The app features a future cast that has proven to be reliable for an hour or two, extending your window of time to fish or to get your butt back into the harbor!
NOAA Weather Database (www.ndbc.noaa.gov): The most generic, government-run weather website. I use it mainly to confirm what I see on the other apps. I check the "Merrimac River out to 25 nm" section when heading offshore. For my inshore trips, I look at the "Massachusetts Bay and Ipswich Bay" forecast.
US Harbors (https://www.usharbors.com) - Great website with printable tide charts. I keep a set in my truck and at my house for quick reference. The sheet includes both high and low tides for the day, moon phase, sunrise/sunset, and tidal difference. Personally, suppose I'm fishing out of the Merrimack. In that case, I base my tide off the Merrimack River Entrance buoy to keep my log consistent. If I leave from a different port, I use that area's tide charts.
Tides Near Me (App) - If I'm out on the water or need to know the tides quickly, Tides Near Me is a solid app with the same info as the US harbors website. You can get data for today and the week ahead, but not beyond.