How Pinewater Works

Pinewater is the only marine weather site we know of that unifies data from physical monitoring stations, satellite observations, and numerical weather prediction models into a single forecast. By combining these diverse sources, we achieve greater accuracy and locality, delivering forecasts that reflect the unique conditions at each location. Here’s where each data point comes from.

01Data Sources

Tide PredictionsWater LevelsHigh/Low Times

NOAA CO-OPS

Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services

Physical water level stations

Tide predictions are generated from harmonic constituents, gravitational and rotational patterns, analyzed from decades of water level measurements at permanent coastal stations.

3,000+ active stations across U.S. coastlines

Air TemperatureWindHumidityPressureWeather Alerts

NOAA NWS

National Weather Service / Global Forecast System

Numerical weather prediction + Active alert data

Atmospheric forecasts are computed by solving physics equations across a 3D grid of the atmosphere, ingesting millions of observations from weather stations, buoys, aircraft, and satellites every few hours.

Global coverage at ~13 km (~8 mi) resolution

Sea Surface TemperatureWave HeightOcean Currents

Météo-France

Service Météorologique et Océanographique de la Marine

Satellite + ocean modeling

Sea surface temperature and wave height are measured by satellite sensors scanning the ocean from orbit. Physical buoys may be more accurate at their exact location, but satellites provide global coverage.

Global coverage with 0.08° (~5 mi) resolution

Moon PhaseMoonriseMoonset

U.S. Naval Observatory

Astronomical Applications Department

Precision ephemeris calculations

Lunar positions are computed from ephemeris data, precise mathematical models of celestial body positions, maintained by the U.S. Navy for navigation and astronomical applications.

02How Data is Collected

Physical Stations

Permanent installations that continuously measure water levels. Decades of observations enable precise harmonic analysis for tide prediction.

Satellite Observation

Infrared and microwave sensors scan the ocean from orbit, providing broad spatial coverage impossible with stationary instruments.

Numerical Models

Physics equations solved across a 3D grid of the atmosphere or ocean. Updated every few hours with fresh observational data.

Ephemeris Data

Precise mathematical models of celestial body positions, enabling accurate lunar phase and rise/set calculations for any location.

Important Notice

Some tidal and current data is computed from numerical models at ~5 mi (~8 km) resolution. Accuracy diminishes in shallow coastal waters, near inlets, and within harbors. Not suitable for coastal navigation. Consult official nautical charts and tide tables.

Use forecast data with appropriate caution

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