King tides up to 6 feet could bring flooding to Sonoma Coast

The first king tides of the year are expected to crash into the North Coast this weekend, according to the National Weather Service Bay Area.

Waves more than 6 feet high are expected on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The highest tide, at 6.71 feet, is expected Friday at about 10:20 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The king tides may affect underpasses, roadways, coastal trails and sidewalks. The Sonoma Coast may experience minor flooding in any areas with low elevation, meteorologist Spencer Tangen said.

King tides occur when the Earth and moon orbit closest to the sun, which increases the gravitational pull on the ocean.

“This one will be the biggest [this year] because we're the closest to the sun," Tangen said.

California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission are live streaming the tides on Facebook to raise awareness of how the rising sea level may affect the state's coastline. You can watch the stream from 10-11 a.m. on Friday.