The Return of the King Tide

Last month you may have heard of the term “King Tide.”

Last month you may have heard of the term “King Tide.” It’s a high tide that’s above your average high tide during the course of a year. Typically the King Tide occurs twice per year. The full Beaver Moon is on the 14th. It will also be a full moon at perigee – the closest the earth gets to the moon. During this full moon, the Earth will be 221,524 miles away from it. The closest full moon since 1948. The moon and earth won’t be this close together until November 25, 2034.

Gravity increases the closer the moon is to the earth – increased gravity leads to higher than normal tides. Even without a storm next week, there’s a chance we could see flooding even with sunshine and calm winds.

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In the Boston Harbor minor coastal flooding occurs along Morrissey Boulevard at 12.5’. At 11.5’ in Gloucester there is minor flooding along the North Shore. If there is wave action there may be some wash-over and coastal flooding.

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There are two things to keep in mind. October’s high tides were under predicted by as much as a half foot. Unlike last time, there is a chance for a significant storm Wednesday into Thursday. Tuesday is the peak of the astronomical tides, but the high tide cycles Wednesday and Thursday will stay above average. Coastal flooding will be a concern midweek.

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