Community Corner

Shivering Cold on the Hottest Day of the Year

Ocean upwelling makes for frigid waters at the Jersey Shore

Despite a heat index topping out at nearly 111 degrees throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties, chattering teeth and shivering might not be an uncommon sight on area beaches.

Those seeking refuge from oppressive heat on Jersey Shore beaches will have no doubt found it if they entered the ocean today as ocean temperatures dropped significantly overnight.

Where seasonally, bathers would expect ocean temperatures in the low to mid 70's, many were likely surprised by temperatures that dipped to as low as 60 thanks to an occurrence called upwelling.

Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Institute of Marine and Coastal Science at Rutgers University explains upwelling as a wind-created weather event.

Typically, ocean surface water at the Jersey Shore is heated by the sun. Summer winds blow predominantly out of the southwest, bringing heat and humidity in these months. 

Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When wind blows from the southwest hard enough and for a prolonged enough period, as it did Thursday and overnight into Friday morning, it creates a conveyor belt effect, pushing warm surface water away from beaches and allowing colder, deep water to rise up. 

Shore residents living close enough to the ocean who were up early this morning may have also noticed that the meeting of rising cold water with hot air created dense fog along the coast, which burned off easily as the mercury began to rise.

Upwellings are relatively fast moving and swimmers can expect ocean temperatures to return to normal nearly as quickly as they dropped off.

For many anxious and sweaty beachgoers, a dip in Atlantic Ocean is a tailor-made cure for the current heat wave— just don't be surprised when that swim is more refreshing than you bargained for.


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