Get It While It's Hot!
SURF:
Small surf this week was met with partially sunny skies and water temps holding in the low 70's.
For this weekend, we've got a couple fun things on the radar. First up is combo SW groundswell and NW windswell for chest high sets. Considering how small it's been recently, chest high is nothing to sneeze at. We also have a chance of tropical weather on Sunday so that should liven things up along the coast. And here are the tides, sun, and water temps for this weekend:
- Sunrise and sunset this weekend:
- 6:01 AM sunrise
- 7:49 PM sunset
- Water temps:
- We're finally headed towards El Nino type water temps. Currently, most spots are hovering around 72 degrees- which is about 2 degrees warmer than normal. And our peak water temps usually happen towards the end of August; so we have that going for us.
- And here's the tides for the weekend:
- 2' at sunrise
- 3.5' mid-morning
- 2.5' at lunch
- up to 6' at sunset
FORECAST:
Things are starting to pick up (slightly).
A storm off S American will send straight S swell to the OC towards Thursday of next week. Good for the US Open- not much for SD. We also have NW windswell most of next week for waist high sets. Hopefully that doesn't knock our water temps down a notch.
And if the models are right (chuckle), we could see a hurricane mid-week off Baja and potentially fun surf towards next weekend. If anything changes between now and then, make sure to follow North County Surf on Twitter.
WEATHER:
Nice weather this weekend with low clouds in the AM and mostly sunny skies late in the day. If you're looking for excitement, models show monsoonal moisture headed to Southern California for Sunday/Monday. Look for a slight chance of showers at the coast and most definitely thunderstorms in the mountains/deserts. In summary, here’s what we have for the upcoming week:
- Friday/Saturday. Low clouds in the AM, mostly sunny late in the day. Temps 75/68
- Sunday/Monday. Chance of showers! Temps 75/65
- 2nd half of next week: Mostly sunny and temps 75/68
BEST BET:
This weekend with small combo swell, nice weather, and water temps in the low 70's.
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
Not sure if you saw, but um, water temps in lower Florida (i.e. the Florida Keys) may have hit 100+ degrees this week. Temps have since cooled to the lower 90's (cooled being a relative term) but regardless if the sea surface temperatures hit 100, it was probably mid to high 90's and did significant damage to the coral reefs. Here's the Washington Post with more information:
Excessively hot waters off the coast of South Florida rose to an unfathomable level Monday evening. A buoy in Manatee Bay, about 40 miles south of Miami, posted a temperature of 101.1 degrees at 6 p.m. after a morning low of 91 degrees. Temperatures remained at or above 100 from 5 p.m. through late evening.
For comparison, the “ideal” temperature of a hot tub is 100 to 102 degrees, according to jacuzzi.com. The Manatee Bay reading may be near the highest sea surface temperature observed globally , although there are no official records maintained for ocean temperatures.
After reviewing data obtained through Everglades National Park, Michael Lowry, a hurricane specialist for television affiliate WPLG, pointed out that the temperature at the Manatee Bay location rose as high as 102 degrees in August 2017.
A study published in 2020 proposed that the highest sea surface temperature reliably observed may have been 99.7 degrees in the middle of Kuwait Bay, wrote Jeff Masters, a meteorologist and writer for Yale Climate Connections, in a thread on Twitter.
The temperature at Manatee Bay was measured Monday at shallow levels about five feet below the surface — where waters can easily heat up. Masters tweeted that it’s not clear whether the temperature is valid because of “contamination of the measurement by land effects and organic matter in the water.”
The Manatee Bay buoy temperature reading was among several extreme values in South Florida’s offshore waters. To the southwest, a buoy near Johnson Key topped out at 98.4 degrees. The temperature hovered at or above 98 degrees for several hours during the evening.
A majority of buoys in the area reached or surpassed 95 degrees during the day. In fact, the average of the two dozen observation locations in and around Florida Bay was right around 96 degrees during the early evening.
The water temperatures were remarkable for being even higher than air temperatures. Masters explained on Twitter that “sunlit shallow water surrounded by dark land can have [a sea surface temperature] that exceeds the air temperature.”
The extreme ocean heat comes amid Florida’s hottest July on record. Miami, Key West, Naples, Tampa and many other cities are seeing their toastiest July. Most of South Florida is also experiencing its hottest year on record thus far, according to data compiled by the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
Miami has reached at least 90 degrees on 64 days, while Fort Myers and Key West have done so on 97 and 46 days, respectively, all of which are year-to-date records. The heat index in Miami, taking into account humidity as well as air temperature, has reached at least 100 degrees on a record 44 straight days.
Meanwhile, overnight low temperatures have averaged 80 to 83 degrees over the past several weeks in these areas — allowing ocean temperatures to remain extremely warm.
Excessively hot waters off the coast of South Florida rose to an unfathomable level Monday evening. A buoy in Manatee Bay, about 40 miles south of Miami, posted a temperature of 101.1 degrees at 6 p.m. after a morning low of 91 degrees. Temperatures remained at or above 100 from 5 p.m. through late evening.
For comparison, the “ideal” temperature of a hot tub is 100 to 102 degrees, according to jacuzzi.com. The Manatee Bay reading may be near the highest sea surface temperature observed globally , although there are no official records maintained for ocean temperatures.
After reviewing data obtained through Everglades National Park, Michael Lowry, a hurricane specialist for television affiliate WPLG, pointed out that the temperature at the Manatee Bay location rose as high as 102 degrees in August 2017.
A study published in 2020 proposed that the highest sea surface temperature reliably observed may have been 99.7 degrees in the middle of Kuwait Bay, wrote Jeff Masters, a meteorologist and writer for Yale Climate Connections, in a thread on Twitter.
The temperature at Manatee Bay was measured Monday at shallow levels about five feet below the surface — where waters can easily heat up. Masters tweeted that it’s not clear whether the temperature is valid because of “contamination of the measurement by land effects and organic matter in the water.”
The Manatee Bay buoy temperature reading was among several extreme values in South Florida’s offshore waters. To the southwest, a buoy near Johnson Key topped out at 98.4 degrees. The temperature hovered at or above 98 degrees for several hours during the evening.
A majority of buoys in the area reached or surpassed 95 degrees during the day. In fact, the average of the two dozen observation locations in and around Florida Bay was right around 96 degrees during the early evening.
The water temperatures were remarkable for being even higher than air temperatures. Masters explained on Twitter that “sunlit shallow water surrounded by dark land can have [a sea surface temperature] that exceeds the air temperature.”
The extreme ocean heat comes amid Florida’s hottest July on record. Miami, Key West, Naples, Tampa and many other cities are seeing their toastiest July. Most of South Florida is also experiencing its hottest year on record thus far, according to data compiled by the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
Miami has reached at least 90 degrees on 64 days, while Fort Myers and Key West have done so on 97 and 46 days, respectively, all of which are year-to-date records. The heat index in Miami, taking into account humidity as well as air temperature, has reached at least 100 degrees on a record 44 straight days.
Meanwhile, overnight low temperatures have averaged 80 to 83 degrees over the past several weeks in these areas — allowing ocean temperatures to remain extremely warm.
Scorching waters off South Florida are only one of several regions in the Northern Hemisphere experiencing a marine heat wave, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch, which monitors ocean temperatures around the planet.
Other ocean hot spots include the Mediterranean Sea, which reached its hottest level on record Monday, averaging 83.1 degrees; the waters west of Peru; and the North Atlantic Ocean, where water temperatures are off the charts.
The abnormally warm waters surrounding South Florida and the Florida Keys are already damaging coral reefs, according to scientists. The Coral Restoration Foundation, a nonprofit based in Key Largo that works to preserve and restore corals, wrote that the historically high water temperatures are creating “a severe and urgent crisis,” in a news release late last week.
On Thursday, scientists at the foundation visited Sombrero Reef, which is south of Marathon in the Florida Keys, to assess its health. “What we found was unimaginable — 100% coral mortality,” said Phanor Montoya-Maya, the restoration program manager at the foundation, in the release. “We have also lost almost all the corals in the Looe Key Nursery in the Lower Keys.”
The foundation said the situation “underscores the urgency of addressing climate change.”
PIC OF THE WEEK:
Proof that sheep are smarter than you think. I bet the even have boards stashed on the beach.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Noteworthy
Permanent Vacation
40 Years Later I Still Can't Decide If I'm Regular Or Goofy
Michael W. Glenn
Noteworthy
Permanent Vacation
40 Years Later I Still Can't Decide If I'm Regular Or Goofy
