Annual king tide forecast for the Oregon Coast
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A timeline for Oregon’s seasonal king tides, the highest tide levels of the year, has been published by the Oregon King Tides Project.
The tides, also known as spring tides, are forecast to occur regionally in November and December of 2022 and January of 2023. During a king tide, water levels can be half-a-foot or more above the highest daily tide average, which sometimes results in coastal flooding.
Oregon’s forecasted king tide dates:
- Nov. 24 - 26, 2022
- Dec. 22 - 24, 2022
- Jan. 20 - 22, 2023
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report that king tides happen one to two times per year around the world. These exceptionally high tides occur when the orbit and alignment of the Earth, moon and sun combine to pull on the Earth’s oceans.
Regions on the West Coast with the greatest risk of coastal, high-tide flooding include Friday Harbor, Wash., Port Angeles, Wash., Toke Point, Wash., South Beach, Ore. and Humboldt Bay, Calif. Although hazardous, scientists say that these tides are also useful because they give insight into how coastal areas will be impacted by rising sea levels caused by climate change.
“Understanding and documenting the extent and impacts of especially high tide events is one way to highlight the need to prepare for the effects of future climate conditions,” the Oregon King Tides Project stated on its website. “The King Tides Project generates information that coastal communities can use to reduce vulnerabilities to rising sea levels.”