Waves crash in Yaquina Bay during the king tides in December 2018. 

Planning to spend your Thanksgiving on the beach? Remember to keep your eyes on the ocean.

The National Weather Service has issued a slew of sneaker wave warnings on the Oregon Coast for the holiday week, through Sunday.

Saturday and Sunday have a high threat of sneaker waves, forecasters said, with a moderate threat on Thursday and Friday.

That coincides with the king tide schedule for the Oregon Coast, making the beach particularly dangerous over Thanksgiving weekend. Higher than normal tides are expected Nov. 25-28, reaching nearly 10 feet in some places on the coast, according to tide tables kept by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s the first of several king tide events, which typically run through February.

A sneaker wave is a sudden rush of water that runs higher up the beach than expected. When caught up in the water, people can be suddenly swept out to sea, where cold temperatures are usually deadly.

The phenomenon can happen year-round, but is most common in the fall and winter, when seasonal storms bring in choppier water and higher tides.

Because of their unpredictable nature, sneaker waves require extra caution when exploring the beach, especially when warnings are in effect. The National Weather Service advises people to always check local forecasts and tide tables, to observe the water from a distance before heading down to the beach, and to follow the old adage, “never turn your back on the ocean.”