Are West Coast beaches colder than East Coast?

What does Earth's rotation have to do with ocean temperatures off San Diego? The average water temperature off Scripps Pier in September is 66 F. Follow San Diego's line of latitude (32.7 N) over to Charleston, SC, and you will experience an average water temperature of 82 F.



People Also Ask

The upwelling further cools the already cool California Current. This is the mechanism that produces California's characteristic coastal fog and cool ocean waters. As a result, ocean surf temperatures are much colder along the Pacific coast than the Atlantic coast.

MORE DETAILS

Warmest Ocean Water For the warmest ocean swim off the west coast of the United States, your best chances are Newport Beach in early August or at Avalon on Santa Catalina Island in mid to late August. At both places, the Pacific Ocean temperature peaks at 70 degrees F (21 °C).

MORE DETAILS

The current runs through northern parts of the Pacific Ocean and cools off. It then runs down the west coast of North America making the beaches cooler. On the east coast of North America, the Atlantic coastline current is basically warm water on it way north.

MORE DETAILS

East coast beaches have warm water flowing north from the Caribbean Sea, while West coast beaches have cold water flowing from the Gulf of Alaska.

MORE DETAILS