Seawater temperatures are unusually cold ["notícias frescas"]

Posted on Fri, May. 18, 2007

Despite warming trends globally, temperatures on the Central Coast have been as much as a degree and a half cooler than normal, officials say

By David Sneed - dsneed@thetribunenews.com

Persistent winds blowing inland off the ocean are causing unusually cold seawater temperatures along the Central Coast and are contributing to cooler-than-normal weather conditions.

Seawater temperatures have been running as much as a degree and a half colder than normal, said John Lindsey, meteorologist at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

“This April was one of the coldest on record at the Diablo Canyon Ocean Lab with mean water temperatures averaging 50.82 degrees,” he said. “The average along our coastline for the month of April is 52.19 since seawater temperature records have been collected (starting in 1976).”

Record-low ocean temperatures this week have been recorded at Pacifica, Monterey, Morro Bay and Diablo Canyon, Lindsey said. The cold water temperatures have also contributed to the cool, blustery weather in the area this spring.

These cool local temperatures are an exception to a worldwide warming trend. Globally, this April is the third warmest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The lower ocean temperatures started in March and have persisted through May. Fresh to strong westerly winds are predicted through Monday.

“This condition will continue to produce upwelling along our shoreline, giving cooler seawater temperatures,” Lindsey said. “By next week we could see the monthly average for this May dropping below 50 degrees.”

Winds blowing across the surface of the ocean are a common Central Coast occurrence in the springtime and cause colder water to be dredged up from the depths. The cold water brings nutrients with it, which are an important part of the ocean food chain.