King Tides Return -- When & Where There's Risk For Flooding
KPIX 5 Morning Weather Anchor Roberta Gonzales answers the questions you never get to ask on-air.
Q: Roberta, I was watching the news this morning getting ready for work and heard you mention something about King Tides. I recently moved to the Bay Area, so I'm not sure what that means. Katie Craft; San Rafael
A: Welcome to the Bay Area, Katie!
King Tides are the highest tides of the season. They are a natural occurrence, not generated by any strong storm, so these high tides are predictable. But if you are unfamiliar with exactly how a high tide works, let's go back to the basics.
A tide is the movement of water across the surface of the earth. The water moves due to gravitational forces. These forces are generated by the alignment of the moon and the sun and the rotation of the earth. These combined effects cause the rise and fall of sea level along our coast. Also worth noting, with the highest tides of the season, we will experience the lowest tides as well!
Today's High Tide: 6.5 at 11:05am
Today's Low Tide: 0.8 at 4:32pm
Tuesday: 6.7 at 11:45am
Tuesday's Low Tide: -0.9 at 6:05pm
5 Vulnerable San Francisco Bay areas for flooding:
- The lagoon area at East Beach in San Francisco
- Mazanita Park and Ride off Highway 101 in Mill Valley
- Highway 1 and 101 intersection; Mill Valley
- High waves at Ft. Point and the Embarcadero (but this usually happens when it's a little more windy).
Tips for a King Tide:
- Do not leave car or truck in a low lying area near the coast or the Bay.
- Do not drive through a flooded roadway!
- Be mindful of posted hazard signs.
Do you have a question or observation you would like to share with me? I would love to hear from you! Please email Gonzales@kpix.cbs.com
