Where can I get the weather forecast and water temperatures for planning my beach vacation?
The Internet has an abundance of sources of meteorological information and data. NOAA Forecast information is available from the NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS). To get a sense of past weather conditions, you may want to check with the NOAA/National Climatic Data Center, which is the archive for historical weather measurements. Many cities, states, and local governments now have websites that usually include a link to a source of local weather conditions and forecasts. Although ocean conditions vary from year to year, water temperatures are less variable than air temperatures. Therefore, climatological average water temperatures are useful in planning beach activities such as fishing and swimming. Monthly (or two-week) average water temperatures for dozens of locations around the U.S. coast are available from the NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide. • What is El Niño? El Niño is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific having important consequences for w
