Weather
By Dan Skeldon
So many of my columns this winter have focused on a certain four letter “S” word, and exploring our chances of seeing some of that word throughout the season. For the record, we’ve seen over 7 inches this season, about 15 times more than last winter.
But an avid reader contacted me and offered a challenge, to try to not mention that “s” word once through an entire column. And with less than one month to go to a different “s” word that it’s probably safe to say more people look forward to, I say to that reader challenge accepted.
We are after all in the home stretch of winter. The countdown to spring continues, with around three weeks to go until the vernal equinox and the start of the spring season. If you care to set a countdown timer on your iPhone, winter will officially end at 5:37am on Saturday, March 20th.
The days are perceptibly growing longer, and you’re most likely especially noticing those later sunsets. We’ll continue to add about 2 minutes and 30 seconds of daylight to each day through the start of spring. That means our sunset, occurring around 5:45pm right now, will move to around 6:00pm by March 11th, and all the way to 7:10pm just three days later on March 14th. Of course, that’s because of the return to Daylight Saving Time as we spring ahead our clocks that weekend. Sure, we lose the hour of sleep, but we’ll gain that precious extra hour of evening daylight that we’ll gladly utilize all spring and summer long. You’ll have to wait a little while longer for the first 8pm sunset, which occurs on the evening of May 10th.
Longer days and a higher and stronger sun angle of course mean temperatures continue to steadily warm as spring unfolds. Our average high temperature, right now around 46 degrees, will slowly but steadily rise to around 53 degrees by the first day of spring. Our average high reaches 60 degrees by mid-April (April 11th), and then 70-degree average highs are ours to enjoy exactly one month later on May 11th.
Low temperatures will gradually moderate as well to above freezing, but remember frosts are usually possible until mid-May. The rule of thumb I always use for gardening interests is wait until after Mother’s Day weekend to plant any sensitive flowers or vegetation.
Of course, Mother Nature doesn’t always abide by the law of averages, and spring can feature some wild temperature swings as winter tries desperately to hang on while spring tries to take over control. When is the earliest we could hope for 80-degree high temperatures? Officially, the earliest 80-degree day on record at the Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) is March 10th, 2016, just five years ago when the high soared to 81 degrees. And just last year, the first full day of spring saw an 83-degree high at ACY last March 20th. For those hoping to skip over spring and get a taste of summer, the earliest 90-degree day high temperature on record occurred on April 7th, 2010, with a balmy 91-degree early April high.
Naturally, it goes without saying that even if we get some early season warmth this spring, the ocean is always slower to respond temperature-wise. Average ocean temperatures rise from the upper 30s during late winter to low 40s in early spring, and to around 50 degrees by late April. 60-degree ocean water at our beaches can be expected sometime around Memorial Day in an average year, with 70-degree ocean water typically following around July 4th. Remember, winds have a lot to say with what our water temperatures actually do.
From a forecasting standpoint, early spring is usually a quieter time of year with respect to major weather events. We’re past prime nor’easter season by late March, and hurricane season doesn’t begin until early June. Sure, there can be a late coastal storm sneaking up the coast, or an early season severe weather outbreak like last year. But usually in the spring, it’s chilly onshore sea-breezes, low clouds and fog banks off the ocean, and back door cold fronts that sneak down the coast that are often the biggest forecasting challenges. And spring is the time of year we start with the “cooler at the shore” phrase, as the ocean keeps the islands warmer during the winter (and part of the fall) but cooler in the spring and summer.
So there you have it. All spring talk and none of that other “s” stuff. Hopefully, Mother Nature follows suit.
So many of my columns this winter have focused on a certain four letter “s” word, and exploring our chances of seeing some of that word throughout the season. For the record, we’ve seen over 7 inches this season, about 15 times more than last winter.
But an avid reader contacted me and offered a challenge, to try to not mention that “s” word once through an entire column. And with less than one month to go to a different “s” word that it’s probably safe to say more people look forward to, I say to that reader challenge accepted.
We are after all in the home stretch of winter. The countdown to spring continues, with around three weeks to go until the vernal equinox and the start of the spring season. If you care to set a countdown timer on your iPhone, winter will officially end at 5:37am on Saturday, March 20th.
The days are perceptibly growing longer, and you’re most likely especially noticing those later sunsets. We’ll continue to add about 2 minutes and 30 seconds of daylight to each day through the start of spring. That means our sunset, occurring around 5:45pm right now, will move to around 6:00pm by March 11th, and all the way to 7:10pm just three days later on March 14th. Of course, that’s because of the return to Daylight Saving Time as we spring ahead our clocks that weekend. Sure, we lose the hour of sleep, but we’ll gain that precious extra hour of evening daylight that we’ll gladly utilize all spring and summer long. You’ll have to wait a little while longer for the first 8pm sunset, which occurs on the evening of May 10th.
Longer days and a higher and stronger sun angle of course mean temperatures continue to steadily warm as spring unfolds. Our average high temperature, right now around 46 degrees, will slowly but steadily rise to around 53 degrees by the first day of spring. Our average high reaches 60 degrees by mid-April (April 11th), and then 70-degree average highs are ours to enjoy exactly one month later on May 11th.
Low temperatures will gradually moderate as well to above freezing, but remember frosts are usually possible until mid-May. The rule of thumb I always use for gardening interests is wait until after Mother’s Day weekend to plant any sensitive flowers or vegetation.
Of course, Mother Nature doesn’t always abide by the law of averages, and spring can feature some wild temperature swings as winter tries desperately to hang on while spring tries to take over control. When is the earliest we could hope for 80-degree high temperatures? Officially, the earliest 80-degree day on record at the Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) is March 10th, 2016, just five years ago when the high soared to 81 degrees. And just last year, the first full day of spring saw an 83-degree high at ACY last March 20th. For those hoping to skip over spring and get a taste of summer, the earliest 90-degree day high temperature on record occurred on April 7th, 2010, with a balmy 91-degree early April high.
Naturally, it goes without saying that even if we get some early season warmth this spring, the ocean is always slower to respond temperature-wise. Average ocean temperatures rise from the upper 30s during late winter to low 40s in early spring, and to around 50 degrees by late April. 60-degree ocean water at our beaches can be expected sometime around Memorial Day in an average year, with 70-degree ocean water typically following around July 4th. Remember, winds have a lot to say with what our water temperatures actually do.
From a forecasting standpoint, early spring is usually a quieter time of year with respect to major weather events. We’re past prime nor’easter season by late March, and hurricane season doesn’t begin until early June. Sure, there can be a late coastal storm sneaking up the coast, or an early season severe weather outbreak like last year. But usually in the spring, it’s chilly onshore sea-breezes, low clouds and fog banks off the ocean, and back door cold fronts that sneak down the coast that are often the biggest forecasting challenges. And spring is the time of year we start with the “cooler at the shore” phrase, as the ocean keeps the islands warmer during the winter (and part of the fall) but cooler in the spring and summer.
So there you have it. All spring talk and none of that other “S” stuff. Hopefully, Mother Nature follows suit.
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.
