Still Warm for a Swim
By Quincy Vagell on September 14, 2012, 1:00pm
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It may be the middle of September, but the ocean waters are still relatively warm.
I went to Jones Beach yesterday, along the southwest shore of Long Island. I went into the water and felt that it was still comfortably warm enough to swim. After looking at some observations, the waters are still on the warm side.
Along Long Island Sound and to the Connecticut shoreline, water temperatures are still in the range of 68 to 73 degrees. It may not be as warm as it was back in August, but when you compare some numbers, those values are still impressive.
The water temperatures today are about the same as they were on July 30th.
Although the water temperatures on the South Shore (of Long Island) were a bit warmer, the temperatures along Connecticut's shoreline are about the same. (Note that it's July 29th for Eastern Time, but the above image counts as July 30th using GMT/Universal Time)
There are many factors contributing to the warmer waters.
A relatively warm winter and spring allowed for temperatures to start warmer. Combine this with a warm summer and temperatures started warm and stayed warm. Also, without a lot of heavy rain storms, this also allowed temperatures to stay up, just a bit. (numerous heavy rain events can keep temperatures down.)
With that said, it may be a great time for a late season trip to the beach.
Water temperatures are not only as warm as late July, but the beaches are empty! Everyone is back to school and work, so on the weekdays, the beaches are relatively quiet. When I went to Jones Beach yesterday, not a lot of people were there and admission was, surprisingly, free!
The only thing to look out for is increased jellyfish in some areas. Enjoy!
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