A big storm forecast by the National Weather Service is going to hit the central Oregon Coast on Friday at the same time as the third “King Tide” of the winter.
King Tides” – when normal high tides are higher than usual – occur once a month during the winter and summer. The first of the winter King Tides occurred in late November and December.
This month they occur Friday, Saturday and Sunday when high tides between 11:50 a.m. and 1 p.m. those days reach 8.8 feet — at least nine feet above the daily low tides for those days.
King tides don’t usually cause much of an issue other than low-level beach erosion. But this weekend they occur at the same time the National Weather Service is forecasting wind gusts of up to 40 mph and waves near shore reaching 20-25 feet.
“Therefore, run-up on the beaches could be much further than what typically happens during either a King Tide or with an energetic swell and strong winds,” the National Weather Service’s Portland office said.
Dates for the last King Tides of the winter are Feb. 8-10.
The King Tides are caused a few specific times during the year when the moon is closest to the earth.
There is even a group called the Oregon King Tides Photo Project that enlists volunteers to photograph specific areas of the coast over time to help document sea level rise and erosion. It has been operating for 10 years.