Updated: 2025-11-16
This reference sheet lists official and research-grade marine weather and ocean resources for the Salish Sea (Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan and Gulf Islands, and the Strait of Georgia), grouped roughly south to north by latitude.
| Resource | Provider | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWS Seattle – Marine, Radar and Satellite Portal | NOAA / National Weather Service (Seattle) | Marine forecast, radar, satellite | Entry point for local marine forecasts, Camano Island and coastal radar loops, satellite imagery and marine graphics for western Washington. |
| Coastal Marine Forecasts by Zone – Seattle, WA | NOAA / NWS Seattle | Marine zone forecasts | Table of Washington marine forecast zones including Puget Sound, Hood Canal, Admiralty Inlet and Northern Inland Waters; links to text forecasts and synopses. |
| GOES-West Pacific Northwest Imagery Viewer | NOAA NESDIS / STAR | Satellite imagery | Access GeoColor, IR, water vapour, lightning and other GOES-West channels for the Pacific Northwest sector, with time loops for situational awareness. |
| GOES-West – Pacific Northwest GeoColor Loop | NOAA NESDIS / STAR | Satellite imagery | High-frequency GeoColor imagery loop over the Pacific Northwest, including the entire Salish Sea. |
| Environment and Climate Change Canada – Weather, Radar and Satellite | Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) | Radar, satellite, forecasts | National viewer that overlays Canadian weather radar and satellite imagery; zoom to the south coast of British Columbia and Georgia Basin. |
| NANOOS Visualization System – Data Explorer | NANOOS / IOOS (with UW, UBC and partners) | Multi-source observations & models | Interactive map of observing platforms, SalishSeaCast model fields and other ocean data products; supports filtering by platform type and variable. |
| NANOOS NVS – Apps Portal | NANOOS / IOOS | Applied tools | Collection of themed views (Boaters, Fishers, Shellfish Growers, Maritime Operations, etc.) built on Salish Sea and coastal observations and forecasts. |
| UBC Salish Sea Oceanography / SalishSeaCast | University of British Columbia | Ocean model & forecasts | High-resolution three-dimensional physical–biological model of the Salish Sea and Strait of Georgia, including storm surge nowcasts and bloom forecasts. |
| SalishSeaCast NEMO Model Viewer | University of British Columbia | Ocean model & forecasts | Web portal for SalishSeaCast NEMO model output, including currents, temperature, salinity and water level forecasts for the whole basin. |
| NOAA Salish Sea & Columbia River Operational Forecast System (SSCOFS) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS & PNNL | Operational ocean forecast | Information page for SSCOFS, which provides nowcasts and short-term forecasts of water levels, currents, temperature and salinity throughout the Salish Sea and Columbia River domain. |
| SSCOFS – Southern Puget Sound Viewer | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Currents & water levels | Map-based viewer for SSCOFS Southern Puget Sound guidance, including surface currents and water level time series. |
| PNNL Salish Sea Model | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Research ocean model | Background, documentation and applications of the Salish Sea Model for circulation, water quality and climate-change impacts across the basin. |
| NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) | NOAA NDBC | Buoy & C-MAN observations | Access to offshore and nearshore buoy observations (winds, waves, pressure, etc.) and coastal stations; use the station map and list to focus on Salish Sea buoys. |
| NOAA Tides & Currents (CO-OPS) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tides, water levels, currents | Central portal for U.S. tide, water level and current stations; use the interactive map to select Salish Sea stations and products. |
| UW Pacific Northwest WRF Forecasts | University of Washington Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences | High-resolution weather model | WRF model guidance for the Pacific Northwest, providing mesoscale wind and pressure patterns that drive marine conditions over the Salish Sea. |
| UW Northwest Radar Composite | University of Washington | Radar imagery | Mosaic of Pacific Northwest weather radar, useful for tracking fronts and convective bands moving across the Salish Sea. |
| UW Washington Marine Forecast Page | University of Washington | Marine forecast aggregation | UW-hosted page that aggregates NWS marine forecasts and related marine weather information for Washington coastal and inland waters. |
| Resource | Provider | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound and Hood Canal (PZZ135) Marine Forecast | NOAA / NWS Seattle | Marine zone forecast | Official zone forecast for Puget Sound and Hood Canal including winds, waves and weather; covers much of South and Central Puget Sound. |
| Budd Inlet, South of Gull Harbor, WA (9446807) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tide & water level station | Olympia-area tide, water level and related products for the head of South Puget Sound. |
| Tacoma, WA (9446484) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tide & water level station | Full tide, water level and PORTS products for Tacoma and the central South Sound approaches. |
| Seattle, WA (9447130) Tide Predictions | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tide predictions | Official tide predictions for Seattle, representative of central Puget Sound water levels. |
| Resource | Provider | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admiralty Inlet (PZZ134) Marine Forecast | NOAA / NWS Seattle | Marine zone forecast | Zone forecast for Admiralty Inlet, connecting central Puget Sound to the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. |
| Northern Inland Waters Including the San Juan Islands (PZZ133) | NOAA / NWS Seattle | Marine zone forecast | Official forecast for the northern inland waters of western Washington, including the San Juan Islands and eastern Strait of Georgia approaches. |
| Port Townsend, WA (9444900) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tide & water level station | Tide and water level monitoring at the mouth of Admiralty Inlet, including PORTS products. |
| Port Angeles, WA (9444090) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tide & water level station | Tide, water level and PORTS data for the northern shore of the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. |
| Friday Harbor, WA (9449880) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tide & water level station | Tide and water level observations in the central San Juan Islands, useful for inter-island passages. |
| NDBC Buoy 46088 – New Dungeness | NOAA NDBC | Offshore buoy observations | Wave and wind buoy northeast of Port Angeles near the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and approaches to Admiralty Inlet. |
| NDBC Buoy 46087 – Neah Bay | NOAA NDBC | Offshore buoy observations | Representative coastal buoy just outside the western entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, useful for swell and storm approach into the Salish Sea. |
| NOAA Current Predictions – Admiralty Inlet (PUG1616) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tidal currents | Predicted tidal currents for Admiralty Inlet; adjust time and interval controls for detailed planning. |
| NOAA Current Predictions – Deception Pass Narrows (PUG1701) | NOAA NOS / CO-OPS | Tidal currents | Predicted tidal currents through Deception Pass, a key high-velocity constriction between northern Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. |
| Resource | Provider | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Weather for: Pacific – South Coast | Environment and Climate Change Canada | Marine forecast map | Clickable marine forecast map for the Pacific South Coast, including Haro Strait, Juan de Fuca Strait and adjacent coastal waters. |
| Haro Strait Marine Forecast | ECCC | Marine forecast | Official forecast (winds, warnings, visibility) for Haro Strait between the southern Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands. |
| Juan de Fuca Strait – East Entrance Marine Forecast | ECCC | Marine forecast | Canadian marine forecast for the east entrance of Juan de Fuca Strait, covering approaches near Victoria and the southern Gulf Islands. |
| Victoria, BC Weather (with Radar & Satellite) | ECCC | City forecast, radar, satellite | City forecast page for Victoria that links to local radar and satellite imagery, useful for short-range planning around Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait. |
| Victoria Harbour – Tide Station 07120 | Fisheries and Oceans Canada / CHS | Tide predictions | Official Canadian tide predictions for Victoria Harbour, representative of the southern Georgia Basin and Juan de Fuca approaches on the BC side. |
| Resource | Provider | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Weather for: Pacific – Georgia Basin | Environment and Climate Change Canada | Marine forecast map | Interactive marine forecast map for the Georgia Basin, including Strait of Georgia north and south of Nanaimo, Howe Sound and Johnstone Strait. |
| Strait of Georgia – South of Nanaimo Marine Forecast | ECCC | Marine forecast | Forecast for the southern Strait of Georgia, covering the main shipping lanes between the Gulf Islands and Vancouver area. |
| Strait of Georgia – North of Nanaimo Marine Forecast | ECCC | Marine forecast | Forecast for the northern Strait of Georgia, extending toward Campbell River and the northern Salish Sea. |
| Strait of Georgia – South of Nanaimo: Current Conditions | ECCC | Marine observations | Current marine weather observations (buoy and lightstation network) for the southern Strait of Georgia region. |
| Strait of Georgia – North of Nanaimo: Current Conditions | ECCC | Marine observations | Summary of current conditions for the northern Strait of Georgia marine area. |
| Vancouver – Tide Station 07735 | Fisheries and Oceans Canada / CHS | Tide predictions | Official tide station in downtown Vancouver on Burrard Inlet; useful for planning deep-water approaches and harbour operations. |
| Nanaimo Harbour – Tide Station 07917 | Fisheries and Oceans Canada / CHS | Tide predictions | Tide station on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island, representative of mid–Strait of Georgia conditions. |
| DFO – Tides, Currents and Water Levels | Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Tides & currents portal | National Canadian portal for tide and current predictions and water level data, including all Salish Sea tide and current stations. |
| Canadian Tide and Current Tables & Atlases | Canadian Hydrographic Service / DFO | Printed & digital tables | Access to Canadian Tide and Current Tables and tidal current atlases, including volumes that cover the Strait of Georgia and surrounding passes. |