King Tides in Olympia

What is a King Tide? The highest tides in Washington, including Olympia, usually occur during the winter. These higher tides, generally known as “King Tides”, occur when the sun and moon align, causing an increased gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans.

Worst-case Flooding Scenario The worst-case flooding scenario for Downtown Olympia is a combination of high tide, a heavy rainstorm that swells flows in the Deschutes River, emptying into Budd Inlet, and a north wind that causes the tide and Capitol Lake levels to stack up.

Looking to our Future Viewing King Tides now offers a chance to visualize what the “new normal” may look like for Downtown in the future as sea levels rise. In as little as 20 years, we can anticipate experiencing today’s king tide events every month due to sea level rise induced by climate change. olympiawa.gov/stormwater King Tides

How High Will the Water Rise? Predicting exactly when King Tides will occur is tricky, since King Tides rely on the position of the earth relative to the moon and sun as well as weather conditions. Factors such as wind and rain, storms and atmospheric pressure can significantly influence tides. For example, low atmospheric pressure can raise water levels and cause a high tide even when a King Tide is not expected, while a high atmospheric pressure can cause a predicted King Tide to be lower than expected. Take a look for yourself to see if the predictions are correct!

Predicted King Tides for Olympia Winter 2020

Time Date Tidal Datum January 13 8:15 am 16.62

January 14 8:53 am 16.70

January 15 9:32 am 16.68

January 16 10:12 am 16.55

February 11 7:35 am 16.53

February 12 8:09 am 16.61

February 13 8:46 am 16.51

olympiawa.gov/stormwater