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Old 07-08-2020, 02:30 PM   #7
CanisLupusArctos
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The water temp yesterday was 81 F. That's about as warm as the water gets at the location, and typically only once every five years. Wind and boat waves have churned the water pretty well in the last few days, which stirs water up from the bottom (and that water is usually colder.) It appears the warmth is well-mixed in the water.

The dewpoint is a primary driver of water temp because it controls the rate of surface evaporation, a cooling process. The same thing determines how cold you feel when you get out of the water. Evaporation cools your skin, which is one reason your body sweats.

We can expect the lake water temp to climb even higher for the rest of this week because tropical air (high dewpoint) is now moving in. The dewpoint just hit 70 F for the first time this summer, about as muggy as it normally gets in New England. We have seen dewpoints in the mid-70s every few years but it's the everyday norm for the air over the Gulf of Mexico, "The Steambath of the Americas." That kind of mugginess is not out of the question for the remainder of this week in the lakes region.

Record high temperatures are NOT in the forecast, but a dewpoint in the 70s can make 88-degree air feel like 100 or more. Less evaporation means less cooling for your body (hence the issuance of heat alerts) and less cooling for the lake.
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