The streetlights have come on in Neskowin.

By 5 p.m., the sky has grown dark, or at least dark blue. Storm advisories flash warnings of 28-foot swells. Gusts of wind blow sand sideways and pine needles onto the windshield.

This is November on the Oregon Coast — the season for storm watchers, for quilted jackets, rain boots and hot coffee.

And its harsh conditions can bring changes to the contours of coastal beaches.

As sand levels shift over the fall and winter months, some landmarks may become more visible. Take, for example, the Neskowin Ghost Forest, a group of ancient stumps that were uncovered in the late 1990s after a wave of winter storms swept away layers of sand.

Further north, the Peter Iredale shipwreck at Fort Stevens, disappearing as it is by the year, is often found to be more exposed during the winter as the surrounding sand drops.

According to the Seaside Aquarium, sand levels on the coast can rise or fall as much as 12 feet in one season, or up to 3 feet in a single day.

For beachcombers, this can mean the opportunity for unusual finds, like two cannons that were found near Arch Cape in 2008, thought to belong to the USS Shark, the 1846 shipwreck that gave Cannon Beach its name.

It’s also likely sand levels will see more of a change following the extra-high king tides, the first wave of which came in mid-November. So expect a different beach tomorrow than there was today.