COMMENTARY 



In the present report an effort has been made to relate some of the 

 observed hydrographic conditions to weather, particularly to anomalous 

 air temperatures and precipitation. Where reference is made to such 

 anomalies, the source is the appropriate issue of Weatherwise (vol. 12, 

 2-6, 1959 and vol. 13, 1, 1960) covering the weather patterns of 1959. 

 Additional data of a short term nature have been taken from daily weather 

 maps and from lightship observations. 



Surface Temperature (figure 1) 



It should be noticed in figure 1 that the Nantucket Lightship station, 

 used in earlier reports, has oeen replaced by Texas Towers #3, since the 

 data from the former location were wholly inadequate and are not reported 

 this year. This substitution of itself serves to change the temperature pattern 

 quite markedly, because of the relatively cold conditions in the region of 

 Tower #3 (Day, 1959). Had Nantucket data been available, the 60° isotherm 

 at the surface would have extended to Portland as in other years. 



Winter conditions, January through March, were similar to those of 



1956 and 1957, except that water temperatures were somewhat lower than 

 usual from Georges Shoal southwestward to the Barnegat station. 



The reappearance of the winter temperature barrier at Diamond Shoals 

 represents a return to normal after the unusual breakthrough which occurred 

 a year earlier. Warming followed the usual trend in time and rate, except at 

 Winter Quarter Lightship, where it was advanced. 



All stations from Chesapeake northward experienced a cool summer 

 through July except at Portland and Georges Shoals; this was followed by 

 rapid warming during August and early September. The mean surface water 

 temperature for the latter month was the highest on record for Barnegat, Five 

 Fathom Bank and Winter Quarter. At Boston the September mean was the 

 highest since 1890. The peak during the first decade of that month was a 

 reflection of a prolonged regime of southerly winds which began on August 

 12th and continued through early September. Following this period a Canadian 

 anticyclone dominated the east coast for 10 days with below normal air temper- 

 atures and the surface water cooled rapidly. Nevertheless, values were gen- 

 erally above the mean until mid-November. 



Bottom temperature (figure 1) 



Winter bottom water temperatures were very similar to the 1956 and 



1957 values, and vernal warming progressed normally. The maximum at 

 stations between Boston and Chesapeake occurred in mid-September , 10 



