King Tides to return for New Year; flood advisory issued for Bay Area

The National Weather Service urged people in low lying parts of the Bay Area to prepare for potential flooding ahead of King Tides that are expected at the start of 2026.

Forecasters on Monday issued a Coastal Flood Advisory for the Pacific Coast stretching from Sonoma to Monterey counties, along with the shorelines of the San Francisco Bay. The advisory is in effect from 5 a.m. on New Year's Eve through 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 4.

According to the agency's forecast discussion, the King Tides are expected due to a confluence of the full moon on Saturday, the moon being closest to the Earth on New Year's Day and Saturday's perihelion, the point when the Earth's orbit is the closest to the Sun.

In addition to the astronomical events, forecasters also noted an incoming low-pressure system expected to bring strong onshore winds, generating some storm surge.

"The combination of these factors will bring minor coastal flooding to the low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways during high tide Wednesday through Sunday," the Weather Service said in a statement.

At the San Francisco's tidal gauge, high tide at 7:51 a.m. Wednesday is expected to be 1.5 feet above normal and 1.7 feet above normal at 8:41 a.m. on New Year's Day. High tide is expected to be 1.8 feet above normal at 9:34 a.m. on Friday and at 10:26 a.m. on Saturday, with the high tide at 11:18 a.m. on Sunday at 1.6 feet above normal.

Forecasters said the predictions include 0.5 feet of possible storm surge.

Officials urged people to take necessary actions to protect flood-prone property and for drivers not to drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.

• National Weather Service
• Moon
• Pacific Ocean
• Flooding
• San Francisco Bay Area