Why Was the Water So Cold Down the Shore Last Weekend?

In the days following July 4th weekend, several colleagues of mine could be overheard kvetching about the unusually cold ocean temperatures down the Shore. If the waters in Rehoboth and Ocean City, Maryland were alright, they definitely weren’t in Margate. As the Press of Atlantic City reports, average water temperatures this time of year hover around 69 degrees. Temperatures in AC on Tuesday? 61. What gives?

“Southerly winds had been creating an “upwelling” effect, bringing colder, denser water up from near the bottom of the ocean,” [Jim Bunker of the National Weather Service] said…As a result, nights and evenings have turned chilly along the coast, even as the mainland roasts in temperatures approaching 90 degrees. While that translates to cool, brisk sea breezes in the daytime, entering the water has turned into an adventure.

Now we now. [Press of Atlantic City]