King Tides: Coastal Flood Advisory Issued For Rohnert Park, Cotati

ROHNERT PARK AND COTATI, CA — The National Weather Service will be monitoring king tides Thursday to Saturday that are expected to bring coastal flooding to parts of the Bay Area, including Sonoma County.

The tides will take place from Thursday to Saturday with tides peaking on Friday. King tides are a non-scientific term used to describe exceptionally high tides as Earth interacts with the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A coastal flood advisory is expected to be in effect from 6 a.m. Thursday until 2 p.m. Sunday, with minor flooding predicted in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Napa, San Rafael, downtown San Francisco, and along the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay shorelines.

"These higher-than-usual high tides will likely create minor flooding in low-lying areas along the immediate coastline," the National Weather Service said. "The King Tides provide the highest high tides which can result in area visitors [losing] entry and exits to coves, narrow beaches, and sloughs, as well as along coastal trails, sidewalks and underpasses."

King Tides also provide the lowest low tides, where mariners may experience issues with shallow water.

"During low tides, intermittent waves may run up farther on the beach than normal so keep an eye on the ocean if exploring tide pools."

Next week, moderate rain is expected between Monday evening and Wednesday morning from Central California to the North Bay.

The weather service said the rainfall could range between 0.5-2 inches, but weather conditions are subject to change.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report.