SAIPAN — The small craft advisory for Saipan and Tinian waters is down to its final hours, in effect until 5 p.m. Thursday, while the high surf advisory and rip current risk hold on for beachgoers, according to the National Weather Service in Guam and the CNMI Emergency Operations Center.
A significant west swell and localized wind waves are keeping combined seas at 7 to 10 feet around Saipan and Tinian through the afternoon, conditions hazardous to small craft. In a 5:10 a.m. special marine advisory issued through the EOC State Warning Point, Governor David M. Apatang advised all mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, to avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.
Seas ease to 7 to 9 feet tonight and trend down to 5 to 7 feet over the weekend. Rota’s waters run 7 to 9 feet Thursday, easing to 5 to 7 by Friday night.
Along the reefs, the high surf advisory remains in effect until 4 a.m. Friday along west facing reefs, with the high rip current risk holding through late Thursday night. HSEM warned in a separate pre-dawn advisory that rip currents will be life threatening, with breaking waves of 8 to 11 feet, and the governor is reminding the public to stay out of the water along west facing reefs.
Ashore, Thursday is mostly sunny with isolated light showers, southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph and highs around 87. Tonight is partly cloudy with lows around 78. Friday repeats the pattern with highs around 87 before isolated showers and thunderstorms work in Friday night, with lows around 77 and a 20 percent shower chance.
Only spotty light showers are expected over the next few days before showers increase early next week.
Thursday’s low tide at Tanapag Harbor is minus 0.4 feet at 2:17 p.m., with the evening high of 2.3 feet at 9:16 p.m. Tinian’s low of minus 0.1 feet comes at 1:46 p.m. and Rota’s low of minus 0.3 feet at 2:03 p.m.
