Chesapeake Bay Atlas
Temperature 1988
Temperature 1988
In January, the Bay is uniformly cool both on the surface and the bottom. Temperatures do not exceed 10 degrees celsius (C). The warmest temperatures are in the York River. By February, the southern third of the Bay has already started to warm up. Temperatures exceeding 10oC can be seen in the James and the York Rivers. Surface and bottom temperatures are very similar.In March and April, the average Bay temperature is around 15oC. Notice that the rivers warm up faster than the main channel of the Bay. Why do you think this happens? By June, the Bay has really started to warm up, and temperatures are a uniform 20-25oC. July and August are the warmest months. Look at the image for July and notice the bottom temperatures. Where are the coolest temperatures? the warmest? In August, the temperature is quite uniformly warm with depth. Approximately what are the maximum temperatures in the Bay in August.
By September and October, some cooling starts to occur. Which parts of the Bay cool off first? In November, some parts of the Bay are still pretty warm....in excess of 20oC, while some parts are already below 10oC. In December, the southern third of the Bay is already less than 10oC, and there is some very cool water in the northern reaches.