New Feature on the Beach

Late this afternoon as the sun was setting, I noticed a change on the beach.  That raised sandbar at the water line is new.  In my twenty-five years here, I have never seen this before.  Perhaps, I just never noticed it.  During the winter, it is unusual to see this much beach during daylight.  This time of the year, the lower low water tides usually occur in the middle of the night, or at least after dark.  It is not surprising to see no beach at all during daylight for a couple of months.  Today, the lower low water tide will be about 2 feet at 6:39 PM which is after dark.  The photo was shot at 3:54 PM with the water level at 4.84 feet according to my Tides and Currents app.

These sandbars are formed by wave action and currents.  Usually, there is very little wave action in this part of Skagit Bay.  During fall and winter, however, windstorms can kick up a bit of surf.  This has not been a particularly stormy year, but we have experienced some moderate winds.  Apparently, this has been enough to create some new terrain on the beach.