Here’s When the Returning King Tides in San Diego Will Be the Highest and Lowest for Viewing This Week
A mixture of cosmic and earthly forces will create some of the highest king tides of the year in San Diego.
The king tides are expected to hit the coastline on Thursday, Jan. 11 and Friday, Jan. 12, bringing high surf and crashing waves to San Diego beaches.
According to Fox 5 San Diego, the king tides will closely follow a period of high surf advisories, which led to several coastal closures, beach disruptions, and damage to piers in Ocean Beach and other local coastal communities.
Unlike typical surf and tidal conditions, king tides are actually caused by the distance between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. For the upcoming king tides, they’re caused by the new moon on Thursday, as well as the exact placement of the moon in relation to the planet.
If you want to view the king tides in San Diego, here’s the data for the highest and lowest tidal predictions at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Pier in La Jolla.
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Highest king tide on Thursday
The highest king tide on Thursday, Jan. 11 will take place at 8:20 a.m. The tide will measure 7.2 feet.
Lowest king tide on Thursday
The lowest tide to take place on Thursday, Jan. 11 will occur around 3:41 p.m. It will measure negative 1.7 feet.
Highest king tide on Friday
The highest king tide on Friday will take place at 9:04 a.m. in the morning. The tide will measure 7.2 feet on that day, similar to Thursday.
Lowest king tide on Friday
The lowest king tide on Friday will take place at 4:21 p.m. and will measure negative 1.7 feet.
How to view the King tides in San Diego
If you want to view the king tides, then you’ll want to make sure to stay safe. You may notice flooding in parking lots or high waves crashing against parking lots or coastal structures, so be cautious and never stand on exposed jetties or too close to the surf.
At any other time, however, you can learn about how to explore Scripps Pier by moonlight.
Media credit: Image licensed from Adobe
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
