Next King Tides Close to 10 ft.: What's New for Oregon Coast, Washington Coast

Published 12/12/22 at 5:15 AM
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Newport, Oregon) – Those astronomical (and one might say astronomically) high king tides are just around the corner for the Oregon coast and Washington coast, and this time there's something a little different. There's a photo contest you can enter for the Oregon Coast King Tides project, and along the Washington coast the dates are somewhat varied. (Photo Bob Loewen / Oregon King Tides: Gleneden Beach. The irony is big waves came and smacked around erosion control equipment)

For the entire Oregon coast through to the Long Beach Peninsula of the Washington coast, the dates are December 22 – 24. From about Westport through to the north Washington coast, dates are December 23 – 25. Washington's inland seas are, of course, different as well.

There are always three king tide sets around the turn-of-the-year: one in November, December and in January. As always, there's the Oregon King Tides Project, which is created by Oregon Coastal Management Program and CoastWatch, while Washington's version is done through Washington SeaGrant.

Photo of Otter Rock area, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Both states are asking for volunteers to photograph those wild tides, which will be hitting the 11-foot and 10-foot mark in some places.

See Oregon Coast Weather - Washington Coast Weather

On the Washington coast, submit them to https://mycoast.org/wa. On the Oregon coast, submit them to www.oregonkingtides.net or the project’s Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/orkingtide/albums.

This idea is to show how high these tides get, so officials can look into what will eventually happen along Pacific Northwest shores as climate change causes sea level rise. These give a glimpse into the future, and the photos will assist in better shoreline management down the years.

This time around, some rather heavy hitters will be smacking various areas. Westport will be seeing some of the highest waves at around 11 feet. Newport will clock in at around 10 feet. Other places like Long Beach, Charleston and Port Orford will experience 9 feet or more at times, while 8 feet or so may be in store for much of the northern Oregon coastline.

This time around, the Oregon King Tides Project is partnering with the Oregon Coast Visitors Association and Oregon Sea Grant for a photo contest for this 22-23 season. Four categories are available: coastal flooding, coastal erosion, waves, and comparison (the average high tide vs. king tide). Those who win will get some glory and some prizes. See Oregon King Tides.

How big and / or scary these get or don't get can depend on other conditions. Some dates the ocean is rather calm and you simply have higher-than-normal waves. On many other king tide dates – such as last November – they coincide with offshore storms and surges that wind up bringing waves 30 feet or more. This often results in a fair amount of flooding.

King tides happen because of the sun and moon aligning just right to give an extra pull on the tides. Actually known as perigean spring tides, the public knows them by the more vernacular king tides.

As always, both Washington coast and Oregon officials warn of keeping safety in mind. Always keep your eye on the ocean and stay up high away from all waves. Be aware of areas with rising water, eroding shorelines (stay off cliff edges), flooded roadways or high winds that may coincide.

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MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Bandon: photo Oregon King Tides / Gleneda Borton


King tides in Seaside, courtesy Seaside Aquarium


Rockaway Beach, courtesy Oregon King Tides / Lawrence Soto

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