Did you see these patterns in the data?
Daily cycles:
- Air temperatures rise shortly after sunrise, reach their peak late afternoon, and then cool down as the sun sets
- The air above the water does not vary as much as the air over land, because the steady water temperature moderates it
- On cloudy days, the temperature does not rise as much
- On clear nights, the temperature falls more
- Water temperatures do not vary much during the day
- Weather systems can change these temperatures dramatically, as a cold or warm air mass spreads over the region
- In summer, the water will rise to about 80 degrees F
- In winter, the water will fall to about 40 degrees F
Curriculum developed in part by
| The Conservation Fund - Chesapeake Bay Foundation - National Park Service |
| National Geographic - Sultana - Friends of the John Smith Trail |
| Email: cbibs@noaa.gov |