Shivering in the Surf Atlantic's Sudden Temperature Dive A Midsummer Mystery for Scientists

Washington Post ^ | Aug. 7, 2003 | John F. Kelly

[FairOpinion]

"During [most of] July, our water temperatures were, I would say, right around normal," said Capt. Butch Arbin, head of the Ocean City Beach Patrol. That's in the low 70s. About two weeks ago, he said, "there was a tremendous change in temperature, [dropping] as much as 10 degrees overnight."

The unseasonable chill started easing this week, but beachgoers from as far afield as Virginia Beach, Nags Head, N.C., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Daytona Beach, Fla., have been curious about the precipitous drop. So many people have contacted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that William Tseng, an oceanographer at NOAA's Silver Spring headquarters, is investigating the phenomenon.

[FairOpinion]

While people try to blame Europe's heatwave on "global warming", how do they explain this?!

[Zavien Doombringer]

Tell me about it, I was in Nags Head all week last week, the water temp at Avalon Pier was 55 degrees on sunday and rose only 5 degrees during the entire week!

[Constitution Day]

Interesting, considering you commented on this just the other day.

[absalom01]

Um, same cause, that's the beauty of it. Too hot? Global warming! Too cold? Shifts in earth's climate balance caused by (drum roll) global warming!

[Coop]

I believe Al Gore blamed this problem on President Bush during today's speech.

[Constitution Day]

Oops, I see you beat me to it! :)

[Semper Paratus]

Ouch 55 degrees is Mainish.

[AnAmericanMother]

Hmmm . . . we're going to St. Simons next week. The water is usually bathtub warm -- too warm for me.

Guess I'll pack my "farmer john" wetsuit and a polypro shirt, just in case. (I'm used to cold water - I kayak.)

[Zavien Doombringer]

Hehe, ever known me to be slow...er, actually ....

When do you head out to the 'banks?

[Redcloak]

It's global warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling.

[marlon]

That's funny I was asking my brother how his vacation in R.I. was and he said one day the water was great and the next day he said it was freezing. It struck me as odd but I just thought he was exagerating or it was maybe a cloudy day and it just felt colder. This confirms it for me, all of the envirowhackos are right we're heading for another Ice Age. Oh wait, that was there last theory before Global Warming. Oh my, whatever to make of this?

[Constitution Day]

We're leaving Sunday morning.
Between this and the chance of rain I've seen forecast, I am a bit disappointed.

At least I will have a week off, though. :)

[Howlin]

FYI.

[FairOpinion]

"It's global warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming cooling warming "

--

LOL! And whatever it is, is caused by the filthy capitalist industry, which must be shut down.

[Zavien Doombringer]

Let me tell you, I surf...In the summer, I am used to just picking up my board and running headlong into the break, no care in the world. Let me tell you what happened last sunday.

My usual routine, but once I hit the water, I looked like a cat trying to get out of the water, what a shock, believe me, the only thing going through my mind was, "God, why this sick joke?"....I was trying to walk on it! Talk about instant eunich!

[Zavien Doombringer]

Well, you know the afternoon storms are coming, but they blow off...It will be comfortable right now seeing the winds have changed and the temp rose back to normal, at least the surface temp, go down about 5 feet and you'll need long-johns

[Semper Paratus]

Talk about instant eunich!

If you don't know the definition of numb you will after 2 minutes in 55 degree water.

[Zavien Doombringer]

It should be OK by then

[Alberta's Child]

I seem to remember the exact opposite thing occurring a few years ago. The waters off the coast of New Jersey were so warm in August and September that people on charter fishing boats were catching tropical fish that nobody up here had ever seen before in these waters.

In that case it had something to do with a particularly strong movement in the Gulf Stream current.