Last king tides of season create a dramatic scene in SLO County
King tides created some extreme scenes along San Luis Obispo County’s coast this week, from sending waves crashing against seaside cliffs in the morning to withdrawing so far as to expose expanses of tidepools in the evening.
The phenomenon, which occurs a few days a year in November, December and January when the sun, moon and Earth align in a way that amplify gravitational pull on the oceans, is often most visible in places like Shell Beach.
The highest high and lowest low tides occur within a few hours.
On Monday, a high of 6.95 feet at 9:27 a.m. was followed by a low of -1.88 feet at 4:58 p.m., an almost 8-foot difference in a little over 7 hours.
The king tide highs are roughly 1 to 2 feet higher than those seen the rest of the year. These highs can provide a visual demonstration of where the new normal might be as sea levels rise due to climate change and increasing polar ice melt.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 11:07 AM.
