Cold Southern New Year (1/9)

The first couple of weeks of the new year of 2010 have been plagued with bitterly cold weather over much of the US. Folks coming south to the tropics to escape the cold have to travel WELL into the tropics, as some of this Canadian air has penetrated as far south as Central America! In the images below, taken on January 9, 2010 in Deerfield Beach, Florida ... Something appears very strange with the Atlantic Ocean.



Steam fog is rising from the water, which is about 75 degrees F, in chilly air that is hovering just above 40 degrees F! A temperature differential of nearly 40 degrees causes the relatively warmer ocean water to "steam". This is in South Florida in the afternoon, and the beach normally packed with tourists is completely deserted. Cold spells lasting this long (over a week) are unusual. Snow flurries were even reported farther north in the state!