Abnormally High SSTs

[gpickett00]

At this seasons hottest point, what were the average sea surface temperatures compared to normal? What spots? What caused this abnormally high deviation? Warmer than average previous six months?

I remember during the beginning of the season there was a lot of talk about extremely warm waters and I am just not sure what caused that. Thanks in advance for comments

[Steve H.]

Why don't you go look at the data and find out

[f5]

remember Hurricanes LOVE hot bathwater just or even more than we do

[gpickett00]

Maybe i wrote too much, but what I couldn't find in searching was why they were so high

[wxmann_91]

At this seasons hottest point, what were the average sea surface temperatures compared to normal? What spots? What caused this abnormally high deviation? Warmer than average previous six months?

I remember during the beginning of the season there was a lot of talk about extremely warm waters and I am just not sure what caused that. Thanks in advance for comments

Around August right before Katrina the GOM was at its hottest.

The GOM SST data for the entire month of August: http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/fermi/avhrr/gm/averages/05aug/index.html

The average SST's for August: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/SST/AL_08_AUG_1971-2000_RSST.gif

The cause, no idea.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

thanks wx-man91 for the links

[gpickett00]

Thanks wx man, those links were good. I'm still wondering why so warm

[LarryWx]

Thanks wx man, those links were good. I'm still wondering why so warm

I say that a hot U.S. summer had to have been a significant factor in allowing for very warm SST's at least in the general vicinity of the U.S. Warmer air persisting over a part of the ocean will tend to make that part of the ocean warmer than if the air had been persistently cooler since the warmer air adds more heat energy to the water underneath. Perhaps that warm water then spread out further from the U.S. as the warmth persisted. SST's offshore the SE US are currently much warmer than normal for middle OCT for one main reason imho: it has been very warm over the coastal SE US.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Those SSTs around August 21st were just HORRIFIC in terms of
ability to support a monster storm

[SouthFloridawx]

Why don't you go look at the data and find out

Tell him where to get it ... that would be nice

[THead]

Why don't you go look at the data and find out

I guess you haven't read this thread yet, at the top of the list here:

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=76331

[TSmith274]

Why don't you go look at the data and find out

Tell him where to get it ... that would be nice

Yeah, you gotta walk on eggshells around here sometimes. Really gets old.

[weatherwoman]

very hot summer hot sunlight this year kept us warm just guessing

[Stormtrack]

One explanation I read someplace for higher surface temps this season in the Gulf of Mexico was that the Bermuda High was south and west of where it normally is which resulted in fewer clouds and therefore higher temperatures in the Gulf.