Sunday, December 21, 2014

King Tides 3 days, beginning today 12/21/14


San Francisco Chronicle/Hamed Aleaziz, 12/21/14. "Dangerous high tides expected in Bay Area."

7 foot splash, let's surf
Danger!  Eh, City sign, ignore it
The Bay Area is expected to have some of the highest tides of the year beginning Sunday, forecasters said.  King tides, a winter phenomenon that usually lasts up to three days, bring unusually high tides along the coast and bay front, said Drew Peterson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Monterey.

The National Weather Service has already issued a coastal flood advisory to take effect Sunday morning, he said. ....  The public should exercise caution “when on or around the water,” the Coast Guard warned in a statement Saturday. ... Low-lying areas along the bay and along the coast, such as walkways, piers and parking lots along the Embarcadero, can expect to see some seawater, said Peterson of the NWS. Those who park their cars in such areas should be aware that there may be some flooding.

The high tide time for Sunday is at 10:13 a.m. and, on Monday, it’s at 10:58 a.m., he said. Tuesday’s high tide is expected at 11:44 a.m. The highest tide is expected to be Monday.  Read more. 

Related article - Pacifica Patch/Christa Bigue, Staff, 12/30/13. "Pacifica to see King Tides this week." .... "Meteorologist Logan Johnson said king tides are a natural phenomenon that occurs when a special alignment of the sun, moon and earth creates a particularly strong gravitational pull. ....  Beach-goers are advised to stay away from the shore during high tide and be aware of higher water levels along low-lying roads and trails, on docks, harbors, park-and-ride lots and in other flat, developed areas."  

Reference - California King Tides project,  "2014/2015 King Tides Season:  Dec 21, Dec 22, Dec 23, 2014; Jan 19, Jan 20, Jan 21, 2015; Feb 17, Feb 18, Feb 19, 2015. December peak tides for a few locations are listed in the table below. For additional locations, visit NOAA’s Tides and Currents website.      Note Pacifica photograph by Lindsey (an environmental engineer) from her blog, The hungry Hydrologist.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

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