Makala Bronson makes a suprised face when a wave hits her at Jacksonville Beach.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With temperatures in the middle and upper 90s the best way to cool off is a dip in the river or the ocean.
But be prepared for a much quicker chill than normal when you head out to Jacksonville Beach. The water temperatures are about 10 degrees cooler than normal.
Right now the surf temperature is right around 73 degrees. But that's certainly not the case for the entire western Atlantic. Just go about 40 miles off shore to the St. Augustine buoy, near the warm current Gulf Stream, and the temperature reading is 83, which is what we should be getting right now.
We can blame (or thank, if you're enjoying the cooler than normal temps) on a process called upwelling.
The winds out of the west push the warmer sea surface waters away from the beaches, off shore.
To fill the void, deeper and much cooler water is pulled up to the surface.
But for all of those out there that prefer a bath-like experience while swimming at the beach, don't worry. Just wait on the winds to shift out of the east. That will shove those warmer Gulf Stream waters right back towards us.
First Coast News