Weather
By Dan Skeldon
They say good things come to those who wait. For those waiting to enjoy some warmer ocean water off the South Jersey shore this summer, the wait has been a long one. Well, apparently Mother Nature thinks better late than never!
After shivering to consistently cool water temperatures for a good part of the summer, especially during the hottest stretches of sizzling summer temperatures on the sand, the Atlantic Ocean off of the Steel Pier in Atlantic City surged into the mid 80s during the fourth week of August. And it was warm enough to set a preliminary record of 84.7 degrees on Friday, August 26th, the warmest ever recorded in over 100 years of ocean temperature records.
It wasn’t too long ago that we established the record that was just broken, with 83.8 degree ocean water being recorded off the Steel Pier in early August of 2016. Eighty degree water is certainly not unheard off of our coasts, but it’s also not something that happens every summer. Traditionally, our ocean temperatures, on average, top out in the low 70s in late August and early September.
Locals and vacationers were treated to almost an entire week of 80-something-degree water during the week of August 20-26th, and that’s indeed a rare treat. Ocean temperatures in the 80s are more commonly found off the coast of the Carolinas, up to and including the Outer Banks of North Carolina. That’s courtesy of the Gulf Stream, a current of warm water that flows up the East Coast from the tropical latitudes, but takes a right turn east of the Carolinas, taking the tropically warm water farther out to sea and away from South Jersey.
Here along the Jersey shore, our water temperatures are more dependent on our predominant wind direction, something we discussed in a weather column earlier this summer. Through a good part of July and early August, warm west and southwest winds were pumping up some sweltering and stifling heat, as we sweated to several week-long heat waves. Meanwhile, those same winds pushed the warm water on the surface of the ocean farther offshore, and colder water came up from down below to replace it. The result: 55-65 degree ocean water that certainly cooled you off from the scorcher on the sand, but was too cool for most of our liking.
But when winds come from the east and southeast, some of that warm Gulf Stream water can be sent in our direction, a process called, as you may have guessed, downwelling. Of course, east and southeast aren’t wind directions that are too common in the summertime, minus when they occur with localized afternoon sea-breezes. And therefore 80-something-degree water isn’t all too common either. But when we’re treated to it, we naturally don’t waste it.
Now the recent record is still only preliminary, and the water sensor at the Steel Pier is currently out of service as it is investigated to see if it was functioning correctly. But whether or not the record stands, late August locals and vacationers were treated to the warmest water of the summer so far, hands down!
Of course we don’t expect the 80-degree ocean waters to last long-term into September. But there’s always the chance we briefly spike back above 80 degrees. And even if we don’t, remember the ocean is slower to warm in the spring than the land, but it’s also slower to cool in the late summer and fall. So 70-something-degree ocean water can often extend well past Labor Day.
With Labor Day comes the traditional early September peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, a season which has been eerily quiet with a pronounced lack of activity over the last six weeks. We should see the basin become increasingly active in September, but don’t worry about any warmer-than-average water off our coast increasing our chances for a hurricane. Let this be a reminder that our hurricane chances are not at all tied to the water temperatures off our coast. We can get struck when the water is cold, and you only have to look to Sandy for proof of that. And we’ve been struck several times with warmer ocean water as well, like with Gloria and Irene for instance. Steering currents and the jet stream play a much more pivotal role in determining if a tropical system will directly impact our coast.
So hopefully you enjoyed the warm water while it was here. Because while good things do indeed come to those who wait, remember that all good things must come to an end. On the other hand, there’s a long way to go until our coldest average ocean temperatures of the year, the mid 30s, which don’t occur until mid-February. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Meteorologist Dan Skeldon has a degree in meteorology from Cornell University. He has forecasted the weather in South Jersey for the last 18 years, first on the former television station NBC40 and then on Longport Media radio. Dan has earned the American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval for Broadcast Meteorologists, and now does television broadcasts on WFMZ-TV in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.
