Hot Weather: Warm Ocean? Maybe, Maybe Not

A reasonable assumption after recent heat waves in the East would be that the water off the East Coast is warmer than usual. So when you go to the beach, will you feel like you're swimming in a hot tub? Well, maybe. There are several different ways to measure what is called "water temperature" or "sea-surface temperature." The latter is typically measured by satellites and buoys, and records are kept of averages.

The image above from the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center shows unusually high departures from normal in the Mid-Atlantic. But when we look at the data from actual sensors measuring water temperatures compared to averages, along with a more detailed 3-day satellite estimate, we see that the rule of real estate prevails: Location, location, location.

Notice how much the temperature image above varies over small areas (click to enlarge - this is showing actual temperature, not compared-to-normal, because normals aren't available at that resolution).

Dipping your toes in at Baltimore or Sandy Hook? It's going to feel much warmer than normal, but if you're going to Lewes or Atlantic City, it could be a tad chilly for this time of year. Of course, diurnal (day/night) temperature variation and cloud cover may mask that truth. In the end, tell your boss there's no way to find out unless you ship to the shore for the weekend.