Portland Lightship (Figure 3, Table 3) 



Surface temperatures during February and March were slightly 

 below the mean and reflected the negative air temperature anomalies 

 for those months; the minimum occurred in mid-March. Early May showed 

 a similar positive relationship between air and sea surface temperature 

 and resulted in a rapid development of the thermocline. From June 

 through September surface water temperatures were uniformly below the 

 mean, even though air temperatures were ca. 2°F above normal during 

 July, August and September. The autumn turnover occurred sometime 

 in November and cooling was close to the mean. The maximum bottom 

 temperature undoubtedly occurred in November, but was missed because 

 of instrument failure. 



Surface salinity, January through March, was high compared to 

 values for the three previous years. The minimum in mid-April was not 

 as low as were the minima of 1956 and 19 58, but was below that of 

 1957. A second low occurred in late June and July, reflecting the 

 excessive rainfall and runoff experienced in the East. 



