real-time interactive map:
the reason Florida water so much warmer than California’s
indeed i was shocked by how hot the water was at Clearwater.
i never went to swim on the beach when i lived in California for a year but i did feel the water and didn’t think much of it at the time …
looking at the map now i see in NYC water is currently 74F while in LA it is 72F so almost the same, which is why when i drove from NYC to California in the Summer and felt the water there i didn’t think much of the temperature … because it was basically the same as what i was used to …
but when two days ago i felt the water at Clearwater beach in Florida i almost couldn’t believe it - it was HOT. not dangerously hot but probably hotter than you would want when you’re trying to cool off from 95F heat and sun …
i am such a fucking idiot for never thinking of this before.
currently ( late August, late afternoon Eastern Time ):
Boston - 67F
LA - 72F
NYC - 74F
Tampa ( Clearwater ) - 89F
WOW
it’s crazy that water in NYC beach is warmer than LA beach or that Tampa is 17 degrees warmer than LA in terms of beach water temperature.
water isn’t like air - you can feel even 2 or 3 degrees difference in water temperature. 89F = therapy pool. 72F = cold shower. HUGE difference. YUGE ! ! !
i can’t believe i am only learning about this now.
wow i am dumb.
and here is the craziest thing - beach water is warmer in Florida in November than it is in Los Angeles in August
however in winter California and Florida water temperatures are about the same - which doesn’t matter much since you’re not going to the beach in Winter …
