Climate / Weather
NOAA reports record water levels at four California tide gauges
NOAA cites a perigean spring tide, El Niño-driven Kelvin waves and a marine heat wave.
Status: source-checked.
Four NOAA tide gauges along the California coast recorded their highest water levels on record between Oct. 24 and Oct. 30, in some cases in records dating back more than 100 years, NOAA said Nov. 4.
San Diego reached 2.80 feet above mean higher high water, the average of the highest daily tides, on Oct. 27, according to NOAA. Los Angeles reached 2.70 feet, and La Jolla and Santa Barbara each reached 2.65 feet. Santa Monica recorded its second-highest level, Port San Luis its fourth-highest and Monterey its seventh-highest, the agency said.
NOAA attributed the high water to several factors combining: a perigean spring tide, when the moon was full and closest to Earth; El Niño-driven Kelvin waves, which can temporarily raise sea level along the West Coast by 6 to 12 inches or more; and an ongoing marine heat wave, which causes water to expand. The agency said the combined effects flooded roads and inundated homes and businesses.
NOAA predicts above-normal high tides Nov. 22-27 and Dec. 22-26, bringing increased flood risk, and said more Kelvin waves are likely through fall and winter as El Niño continues. The National Weather Service winter outlook calls for wetter-than-average conditions in the Southwest, which NOAA said could add runoff to already elevated water levels.
What we know / what we don't
What we know
- Four locations set all-time highest observed water levels, per NOAA.
What we don't know
- The specific station names were in a table not captured in the text extract.
The source record