SNOHOMISH COUNTY, NOV. 14: ‘Tis the season – King Tide season that is. The winter months starting in November are when the North Sound gets its highest astronomical high tides of the year, also known as King Tides.
Several factors are involved in creating King Tides. First, the earth’s annual rotation around the sun is not a perfect circle – it is more elliptical. During the northern hemisphere’s winter season, Earth is actually closer to the sun than during summer, meaning the sun has a greater gravitational pull. Second, King Tides occur when Earth aligns itself between the moon rotating around our planet and the sun. With Earth seasonally closer to the sun combined with the moon’s greater gravitational pull on the oceans, the highest tides of the year occur.
King Tides by themselves can cause some minor tidal overflow of low-lying Western Washington coastal areas including the North Sound. But if a storm with lower atmospheric pressure and strong winds coincides with a King Tide, the tide will be even higher and wave action can produce much greater coastal flood damage.
Here are a few examples that highlight what stormy King Tides can do. In late October 2003, such a combined King Tide and strong wind event occurred. The most memorable damage happened at Ivar’s Restaurant next door to the former Mukilteo ferry terminal.
Another stormy King Tide event occurred on December 17, 2012. Several Puget Sound coastal locations suffered high water and wave action damage, including water and logs into homes – not a desired holiday gift under the tree.
In recent years, low-lying areas of Marysville have suffered high tidal flooding including parts of Jennings Park. Many other low-lying North Sound shoreline locations have been impacted by King Tide-related tidal flooding as well.
In the next few months, there will be several King Tide periods noted on forecast tide charts. A dress rehearsal for a King Tide coincides with this Friday’s, November 15 Beaver Full Moon. The highest tide on the tide tables Friday is near 12.4 feet. Fortunately, no big storm is expected to coincide with this initial close-to King Tide event.
Additional King Tide periods this winter for Everett greater than 12-foot tides include:
- November 16 through 19
- December 14 through 19
- December 31 through January 5
- January 12 through 16
- January 29 through February 2
The highest predicted King Tide of the season for Everett will be 12.8 feet on December 12 around 6 a.m.
Shoreline property owners can take action now to help avoid damage during stormy King Tides such as reinforcing seawalls and other protective structures. Also, remain informed of potential North Sound coastal flooding by monitoring the everettpost.com weather page, the National Weather Service at weather.gov/seattle/, the all-hazard NOAA Weather Radio stations serving the North Sound at 162.55 MHz or 162.425 MHz, and other local media sources.
