Supermoon Coincides with Washington / Oregon Coast King Tides: What That Means

Published 11/03/25 at 9:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) – You could say that the first of this season's king tides will be supersized, coming up November 5 – 7. (Depoe Bay / all photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

There's a lot going on this time around, although the biggest factors in all this are major wave systems pummeling their way in during the king tides along the Washington coast and Oregon coast. That's most of what is bringing over 20-foot waves barreling onshore in many areas.

Yet according to OMSI in Portland, we'll be seeing a supermoon as well, which may well compound the action.

It may seem obvious to some, but it's not what you think. Supermoons do not always coincide with king tides. This year they do.

This next full moon, according to OMSI astronomy expert Jim Todd, happens on Wednesday, November 5 at 5:19 a.m., and it's the closest of series of four supermoons that started in October and go through January.

“November's full Moon is called the Beaver Moon, probably because beavers are particularly active at this time of year as they prepare for the winter months ahead,” Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

He explained that on November 5, the Moon reaches perigee - its closest point to Earth - at a distance of 221,726 miles. This event is scientifically known as a "perigee moon." Full Moons appear in varying sizes due to the elliptical shape of the Moon’s orbit. As the Moon travels around Earth, one side of its orbit ("perigee") brings it about 31,069 miles closer than the farthest point ("apogee"). When a Full Moon coincides with perigee, it looks noticeably larger and brighter in the sky. Such a "supermoon" can appear up to 8% larger in diameter and about 16% brighter than a typical Full Moon.

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Everyone knows that the tides are driven by (mostly) the moon (but also the sun in combination). These perigean tides happen because the two are pulling on the Earth more than usual.

Now, add to that a supermoon. Yes, Todd said, these can affect things even more.

“A supermoon causes slightly higher tides than a regular full moon because the moon's closer proximity to Earth results in a stronger gravitational pull,” he said. “This effect can be quantified as the tidal force being about 25% greater than average during a supermoon, leading to higher-than-normal perigean tides. These more extreme tides can lead to higher high tides and lower low tides, and in coastal areas, can increase the risk of flooding during periods of other adverse conditions, like storms or high winds.”

To borrow a cliché, this set of king tides is going to be the “perfect storm” of conditions and coinciding factors.

The south Oregon coast is going to see especially high waves, coming in at 20 to 25 feet in some areas (mostly at high tide). The north coast and southern Washington coast are quite possibly going to see some incredible waves as well, although so far the likelihood is just under the 20-foot mark.

Either way, stay off all beaches this week, until the various alerts are over.

There are also substantial flooding possibilities on the Washington coast, parts of Tillamook County, and the south coast.

While you can't necessarily gauge a supermoon visually, it does get larger by getting closer. According to NASA, they only happen three to four times a year but always appear consecutively.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

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