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Travel and Outdoors

King tides to sweep into Seattle area

The big swells are normal and caused by an alignment with the sun and moon.

January 10, 2024 • 
Alina Hunter-Grah
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If you didn’t know what was happening, king tides could be pretty freaky.

Photo by @ecologywa via @kingcountydnrp

Just a heads up — the Puget Sound and other oceanic bodies of water around Seattle may look a little freaky deaky this weekend.

We’re about to get our first King Tide of the year. The tides are a normal phenomena that occur when the sun, moon, and Earth align to create the highest possible tides. They hit different parts of the Earth at different times of year (SoCal got some earlier this week).

Our King Tides are predicted for Sunday, Jan. 14-Tuesday, Jan. 16, with swells of up to 13 ft in vertical height.

They don’t always cause lots of damage, but it’s best to be prepared just in case.

  • Review your family’s flood preparedness plan.
  • Sign up for local alerts by texting SEATTLE to 67283.
  • Stay a safe distance away from waves and watch for slippery surfaces if you go to check out the tides.
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