Today's tide
Today's tides
ft above MLLW- High12:03 AM2.9 ft
- Low6:41 AM0.5 ft
- High12:49 PM2.7 ft
- Low6:54 PM0.5 ft
Tomorrow's tide (predicted)
Tomorrow's tides
ft above MLLW- High1:05 AM2.9 ft
- Low7:31 AM0.5 ft
- High1:39 PM2.9 ft
- Low7:54 PM0.4 ft
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| High | 12:03 AM | 2.9 ft |
| Low | 6:41 AM | 0.5 ft |
| High | 12:49 PM | 2.7 ft |
| Low | 6:54 PM | 0.5 ft |
Best windows today
- Fishing7:30 to 8:00 PM
Today's best window (7:00 to 8:00 AM) has passed. Dawn light with the incoming tide around the 12:49 PM high. Second window 5:00 to 6:00 PM.
- Tidepools & shellingNext: Wed 7:00 to 9:00 AMEarlier today: 7:00 to 8:00 AM
Today's best window (7:00 to 8:00 AM) has passed.
- SurfingNext: Wed 10:00 to 11:00 AMEarlier today: 9:00 to 11:00 AM
Today's best window (9:00 to 11:00 AM) has passed.
- Shallow boat launchAvoid 4:00 to 10:00 AM
Under 1.5 ft around low water. Launch before 4:00 AM.
Best windows tomorrow
- Fishing6:00 to 7:00 AM
Dawn light with the outgoing tide around the 7:31 AM low. Second window 6:00 to 7:00 PM.
- Tidepools & shelling7:00 to 9:00 AM
The 0.5 ft low at 7:31 AM falls in full daylight.
- Surfing10:00 to 11:00 AM
Mid tide from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. No wind sensor at this station.
- Shallow boat launchAvoid 5:00 to 10:00 AM
Under 1.5 ft around low water. Launch before 5:00 AM.
Next 7 days
October calendar →| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Range, ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TodayTue 20 | H12:03a2.9 | L6:41a0.5 | H12:49p2.7 | L6:54p0.5 | 2.4 |
| WedOct 21 | H1:05a2.9 | L7:31a0.5 | H1:39p2.9 | L7:54p0.4 | 2.4 |
| ThuOct 22 | H1:59a3.0 | L8:19a0.4 | H2:23p3.0 | L8:50p0.4 | 2.7 |
| FriOct 23 | H2:46a3.0 | L9:05a0.3 | H3:04p3.2 | L9:44p0.3 | 2.9 |
| SatOct 24 | H3:30a3.1 | L9:50a0.2 | H3:44p3.4 | L10:35p0.2 | 3.1 |
| SunOct 25 | H4:12a3.1 | L10:33a0.2 | H4:24p3.5 | L11:23p0.2 | 3.3 spring tide |
| MonOct 26 | H4:54a3.1 | L11:16a0.1 | H5:05p3.6 | 3.5 spring tide |
Spring tides Sunday to Monday. Lows drop to 0.1 ft, the best low-water days this week. Spring and neap tides
Tide predictions and observations: NOAA National Ocean Service, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), station 8638491.
Nearby stations
Currents
Dutch Gap Canal, 0.5 mile east of
- Slack12:06 AM
- Max ebb3:24 AM 0.6 kn
- Slack7:18 AM
- Max flood9:15 AM 0.4 kn
- Slack12:54 PM
- Max ebb3:48 PM 0.5 kn
- Slack6:55 PM
- Max flood9:24 PM 0.6 kn
Current predictions for Dutch Gap Canal, 0.5 mile east of, 2 mi away. Currents near inlets can be strong. Not for navigation.
Station details
- Datum
- Mean lower low water
- Predictions
- NOAA subordinate, from Washington, Potomac River
- Live gauge
- None
- Coordinates
- 37.383° N, 77.378° W
- Time zone
- Eastern, UTC−4
- Station ID
- NOAA 8638491
About the tides at Chester
Expect two roughly equal high tides a day at Chester, each arriving about 50 minutes later than the day before. The pattern follows the reference station at Washington, Potomac River. On a typical day the water moves about 2.9 ft between high and low. That is larger than most Virginia stations on this site. From the average lower low to the average higher high, the difference is 3.2 ft. Over the next two weeks the biggest daily range, 3.5 ft, comes on October 27, and the smallest, 2.4 ft, today. Looking a year ahead, predictions peak at 3.7 ft on September 30 and bottom out at −0.5 ft on January 24.
Tides here are worked out from the reference station at Washington, Potomac River, with NOAA time and height corrections. Times are good for planning, but local wind can shift them. NOAA measured the tide here from 1971 to 2012 to set up these predictions. The nearest other station is Meadowville, 3 mi away, where high tide comes about 7 min earlier. For tidal currents, see Dutch Gap Canal, 0.5 mile east of.
Predictions are based on Washington, Potomac River.
Tide predictions and water levels from NOAA CO-OPS. For planning only, not for navigation. Real water levels can differ because of wind, air pressure and river flow. Always check conditions on site.