Heading to the beach for the holiday weekend? Beware of 'king tides'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As the rest of the nation gets hit with powerful snowstorms for the holiday weekend, it feels like beach weather in Southern California.

However, if you're heading to the coast for Christmas, beware of "king tides."

The highest tides of the year will impact areas near beaches and coastlines the next several mornings, forecasters say.

According to AccuWeather, abnormally high tides around 7 feet are expected Saturday morning and some tidal overflow is possible around the time of morning high tide. Experts predict the period of greatest threat of minor coastal flooding looks to be through midday Saturday.

Areas to look out for include the west-facing beaches of Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands, the Malibu Coast and Los Angeles and Ventura County beaches.

King tides are caused by the proximity of the Moon and the Sun, and their gravitational pull.

People are asked to avoid flooded walkways and beaches around this time and stay out of the water due to hazardous swimming conditions.