WEATHER WATCH COLUMNS: JULY 2001 ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weather Watch: What Is A Sea Breeze? A forms because the land (and the air above it) heats up more rapidly than the water. By noon, the temperature difference between the air over the land and the air over the water causes a cool onshore breeze. The wind usually becomes strongest in mid to late afternoon, often as brisk as 10-15 miles per hour, before dying down in the evening. A weaker , when the breeze blows from land to water, may occur at night, depending on how rapidly the land cools. More information about the sea breeze, including satellite imagery, can be found at http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/wxwise/seabrz.html <-David Schultz, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weather Watch: Signs of a Sea Breeze Days conducive to a strong sea breeze will start calm and clear, or at least mostly clear. Paddlers may recognize the first signs of a developing sea breeze by clearing low clouds just offshore or developing fluffy cumulus clouds inland. As the day progresses, the direction of the onshore sea breeze may rotate clockwise 20-60 degrees, under the influence of the Earth's rotation. Even small lakes can produce noticeable sea breezes. The sea breeze can often aid tired paddlers returning to shore at the end of the day. <-David Schultz, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory>