The tides in the week ahead will be more extreme, higher than usual and lower too. The reason is two astronomical events happening at the same time. The moon will be at perihelion next Thursday, which means it will be closest to us in its regular orbit around the Earth. Add to that another aspect: the moon will be in the New Moon phase the next day, which means that the moon will be in the same proximity of the sky as our sun.

The gravitational pull of both the Moon and Sun create our tides. Most often the impact of the two is understandably routine. The pull of the two celestial objects can at times almost cancel each other. But next week is different.

Take note early in the coming week as the tides appear to be higher and lower than normal. At low tide areas of beach and sandbars usually hidden become exposed. At the other extreme the tide will push up the wrackline on beaches. Astronomical tides of this kind can be aggravated by the appearance of ocean storms. Fortunately these high tides only happen twice a day and are short term. Low tide is only about six hours later.

Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day. It is that wonderful day when we all think more about spring ahead than winter behind. Today, if the groundhog comes out of his underground burrow and sees his shadow, the prognosticators predict that winter will prevail for six more weeks. If the sky is overcast than spring is not so far away.

The fun begins when folks discuss whether the sky in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania presages the weather for us. We don't necessarily have the same results when we think about overcast or clear skies on this day.

Does a groundhog in Pennsylvania presage our weather? We might have our own future forecast.

On Nantucket they do it different and it is worthy of note here, since the island is more neighborly. Nantucketers use Quinten the quahaug as the seasonal forecaster. He gives his life away when he is opened. If he squirts to the left when opened there are six more weeks of winter. If he squirts to the right spring is nearby. Have fun today deciding. On Martha's Vineyard,  a skunk rising and sticking his head out might have a different perspective than a groundhog in Pennsylvania or a quahaug's pronouncement on the last moment of life.