From January 10th – 14th, some of the biggest king tides are going to be hitting San Diego beaches. Here’s what you need to know.
King Tides are a phenomenon that occur by a stronger-than-normal gravitational pull from the moon and sun. San Diego already saw 2 rounds of king tides in December with videos of waves pulling far back on the shore and slamming into La Jolla piers.
King Tides are rarer than high tides, only happening a couple of times a year during certain seasons when the full moon is closest to the earth, and on the West Coast, they typically happen during winter and summer. During this time, King Tides create not only the highest tides but some of the lowest, making it an opportune time to find sea animals along the shore and in tidepools. Lobsters, periwinkle snails, shore crabs, acorn barnacles and anemones are among some of the sea creatures that can be spotted in San Diego tide pools
Surfers can rejoice when it comes to king tide season, but beachgoers walking along the coast and pier need to exercise caution. While king tides aren’t dangerous, they’re often high enough to cause street flooding and in the past, La Jolla Shores has become flooded during a king tide session.
From Wednesday, January 10th to Saturday, January 14th, we’ll see the highest tides of the bunch. If you’re wondering where to see the tide predictions, check out the Scripps Institution of Oceanography reporting station at the Scripps Pier in La Jolla. Places like Imperial Beach, South San Diego Bay, San Clemente, and Point Loma are listed, with high tides during the mornings and low tides in the afternoons.
Wednesday, January 10th:
7:31am High Tide at 6.53 feet
2.59pm Low Tide at -1.56 feet
Thursday, Janaury 11th:
8:15am High Tide at 6.74 feet
3:38pm Low Tide at -1.71 feet
Friday January 12th:
8:59am High Tide at 6.74 feet
4:17pm Low Tide at -1.66 feet
Saturday January 13th:
9:45am High Tide at 6.48 feet
4:57pm Low Tide at -1.39 feet