Final King Tides Of Season To Surge Bay Area Coastline Tuesday-Thursday
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The Bay Area is about to get hit with the season's last round of high seas known as the "King Tides."
The extreme tides are a result of the increased gravitational pull of the sun and moon on earth. This is caused when the sun, moon and earth all reach their closest proximity to one another and line up perfectly creating a maximum tug causing local waters to rise.
The highest points on Tuesday will occur at 10:02 a.m. at 7.09 feet. The final day of King Tides will be seen on Thursday morning at 11:47 a.m. with a high tide forecast of 7.03 feet. During low tide, the waves could produce strong rip currents. The lowest tides are expected Tuesday and Wednesday in between 4 and 5 p.m.
The King Tides that inundated low-lying areas around the Bay on January 19th, 20th, and 21st also brought the reciprocal lowest tides possible, as viewed in this timelapsed towercam video showing the water draining away from pier along the Embarcadero, from noon to 6 p.m.
Tides fluctuated a total of more than 9 feet around the Bay, and even more elsewhere as the regularly occurring tidal phenomenon peaked.
This week's King Tides should be nearly as extreme as January's which peaked at 7.31 feet on January 20th.
SHARE IN THE RISING SEAS PROJECT: http://california.kingtides.net/
Areas to avoid during high tide is the immediate coastline, low-lying roadways, parking lots and access to beaches, coastal trails or coves. Areas of great concern are Shoreline and Highway 101, as well as the Manzanita Parking Lot in Marin County.
Never drive through flooded roadways. The average automobile can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water, and roads covered by water are prone to collapse. Attempting to drive through water also may stall your engine, with the potential to cause irreparable damage if you try to restart the engine. If you come upon a flooded street, take an alternate route.
TIDE CHART: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html?gid=235
