Wicked High Tides Return to Boston for the Season
by Rebecca Shoer
We’ve almost completed another rotation around the Sun, which means that it’s nearly the season for our Stone Living Lab Wicked High Tides events! Just as the Earth spins around the Sun, our Moon is nearing its closest approach to the Earth – bringing extra high tides with it. The Hunter’s Moon of October, Beaver Moon of November, and Cold Moon of December will see floodwaters in several areas of Boston.
This year, the Lab has brand-new resources to share and learn about this natural phenomenon. We will also be out at Long Wharf on October 28 to observe the tide and witness the tidewaters coming in. Please note: October 28 is the only day we will be running a public program around the tides. Why? The other high tide dates fall directly on Thanksgiving and Christmas. And as much as we love spending time with the tides, our staff will be spending that time with their human (and non-watery) families.
But just because we won’t be at Long Wharf in person this November and December, it doesn’t mean we won’t be tracking the tides! In fact, we can all watch water levels in real time with our new Wicked High Tides App!
Check out this brand-new tool to find out how many days are left until the peak high tide, what moon phase we’re in, and if any flooding is happening at Long Wharf! If you happen to observe flooding yourself, you can even grab a picture and submit it to MyCoast. (Be sure to follow our important safety tips: don’t go in the water, don’t drive through water, and check the weather before going outside!).
We have also developed a new interactive StoryMap that dives deeper into the science and history of high tides, Boston’s changing coastline, and a map of flood sites.
Still hungry for more tide content? Don’t forget to listen and follow along with our audio tour High Tide Trail, explore our full Real-time Monitoring Network dashboards, and check out other resources on our website.