17.3

 

Last July I looked out at the ocean, wondering how it could be so warm.  On 21 July 2014, sea water temperatures reached 17.5°C (63.5°F).  

Yesterday, on 6 July 2015, the ocean temperature reached 17.3°C (63°F).  The average at this time of year is ~10.5-11°C (51-52°F).  So I found myself doing the same thing today — looking out at the ocean, feeling a warm breeze coming off the water, thinking about a developing El Niño, and wondering how warm the temperature will get this year and how that will affect local marine life.