This happens in winter, and it increases the sun’s influence on the tides. Third, the Earth is at the closest point in its orbit to the sun, a time known as perihelion. Second, the moon is closest to the Earth in its monthly orbit. During this alignment, Earth’s oceans are pulled by the combined gravitational pull of both the sun and the moon on the same side. During a new moon, the Earth, moon and sun are all aligned, with the moon sandwiched between the sun and the Earth. Usually, it happens in December or January.įirst, there’s a new moon. When three astronomical events transpire simultaneously, we get a king tide. The sun and moon both tug on the Earth’s oceans to create tides, but because the moon is closer, its gravitational pull is about twice as powerful. They arise from the gravitational dance among the sun, Earth, and moon. (Via NOAA see interactive version here) Why king tides happen Tide predictions for Ocean Beach in visual format. “Eventually, those king tides are going to be our average daily high tides.” Tide predictions for Ocean Beach, San Francisco Date “As sea levels rise a little higher, we’re going to be seeing those king tide elevations today happening a few more times a year,” says Ellen Plane, an environmental scientist specializing in sea-level-rise adaptation at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. This year’s king tides are predicted to reach lows at nearly -2 feet and highs over 7 feet. In San Francisco Bay, typical new moon tides range between 5 and 8 feet, but king tides expand the range to as much as 7 to 10 feet. “It’s a catchy phrase that was coined in Australia to describe the highest high tides of the year,” says Annie Frankel, statewide manager of the California King Tides project, part of the California Coastal Commission. The California coast will see its highest highs and lowest lows this weekend, January 21 and 22. Such is the king tide-the greatest tidal range of the year. Seven hours later, the tides will surge up over seven feet-about two feet higher than regular high tide-submerging Marin County’s Mill Valley section of the Bay Trail and lapping up onto parts of the Embarcadero, San Francisco’s Bay-facing esplanade. It will be a weekend of coastal extremes.Īt low tide, look out for sparkling feather boa kelp or flamboyant sea slugs, a menagerie of intertidal or even subtidal critters.

Tidal chart santa cruz