King Tides Return to Start the Month

Coastal areas will be dealing with intrusions of ocean water, known as coastal flooding, during the week ahead with the return of king tides!

What is a "king tide?"

When the gravitational pull of the sun and moon are both higher than normal, high and low tides become more pronounced, leading to flooding during high tide and potentially low water issues during the low tides.

This happens most often from the fall through the spring as the sun's gravitational pull on the earth is the strongest. Despite winter conditions in North America, the sun is actually closest to the earth in early January.

King tides are most pronounced when the moon is at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit, which is known as perigee. This is happening at the same time as the full moon for both November and December, creating what's known as a supermoon. During these supermoon events, the moon will be about 14,000 miles closer to the Earth than normal!

November King Tides

King tides will be ramping up throughout the week ahead. Note how much the tidal range grows in Charleston from Sunday to Wednesday, increasing from about 5.3 feet to over 7.5 feet by Wednesday!

Tides near Miami (Virginia Key below) will also increase this week, increasing from about 2 feet to 3 feet!

Coastal flood alerts will likely be issued as we get closer to the mid-week timeframe, so be sure to check your high tide times locally and avoid areas near the coast during those times.

December will also feature a round of king tides with another supermoon!