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Question
how does the moon affect the tides?
Laura,
The moon exerts a gravitational pull on the earth which influences the tides. When the moon is lined up with the sun on either a new or full moon, the gravitational pull is at its peak, and that is why tides always run higher at those times...even when the weather is tranquil. In between these two phases of the moon, the pull is weaker, since the forces tend to work against each other.
I hope this answered your question.
Sincerely,
Dave Dombek
Expert Senior Meteorologist
AccuWeather.com
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Dave Dombek
Expertise
A weather enthusiast from an early age, Dave Dombek is now an AccuWeather meteorology expert.
Experience
Dave received his B.S. degree in meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in May of 1980. Dave joined AccuWeather in July of 1980, beginning in the Snow Warning Service late that fall after his few month period of training. Within a short period of time, Dave got involved in radio broadcasting. He spent over 25 years broadcasting forecasts on radio stations throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, and has also done newspaper forecasts and television briefings. Currently, Dave is the lead television briefer for all of AccuWeather's television clients in the northeatern quarter of the nation. In his daily forecasting routine, Dave helps coordinate the forecasts in the northeastern part of the country. He is also the Director of Forecaster Hiring and is in charge of hiring new meteorologists. Finally, Dave is the supervisor of the climatology department at AccuWeather. An avid outdoorsman, Dave enjoys hunting and trout fishing. He also enjoys watching football and is a student of history and current events. If Dave doesn't already have enough on his plate, he is married with two teenage daughters. He also leads a small Messianic congregation in the State College, Pa. area.
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