Mendocino coast ocean runs high ahead of holiday king tides, forecaster warns

MENDOCINO CO., 10/22/26 — The ocean off the Mendocino coast is already running high, and printed tide tables probably won’t be “remotely accurate” this winter, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Wednesday.

Ryan Aylward, warning coordination meteorologist at the weather service office in Eureka, singled out the king tides that come right before Thanksgiving and Christmas, the winter’s highest tides, “because of the horrible timing.” A big storm during either could add storm surge and surf, he said in a phone interview. “It could be very impactful because we’ve already added an extra foot on top.”