Guest Column: Think about ice before you head out

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintains an “Ocean Prediction Center” where in the section “Probabilistic Guidance” one can find the probability that wind speeds will be greater than 20, 25, or 30 knots for a given date and time period. Using the NOAA “dial-a-buoy” program, you can retrieve wind speed and air and sea temperature for a specific buoy near where you are fishing. To see how, go to http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dial.shtml.