East Coast Verses West Coast

Fort Lauderdale compared to San Diego

While some would believe that living on any coast would be paradise. This assumption is based on ocean living, white sandy beaches and the lure of  year round sunshine. However, the differences from the two coastal regions in the North American continent are vast. The biggest contributor to this fact are the oceans where both are located. Depicted below in the graph is the variation in the mean ocean temperatures located off of the coasts of Fort Lauderdale and San Diego.       

The warm currents of the Gulf Stream keep the Atlantic Ocean at a considerably higher temperature than the ocean off of the coast of San Diego. The California Current has a distinct climatic affect on San Diegon not only in ocean temperature, but in land temperature as well. (1) (2)

The annual temperatures between the two regions could be considered consistent and comfortable. On the other hand, when you throw in the heat index temperatures ---the distinction is colossal. It certainly would be the deciding factor on whether an individual would want to live in the cooler weather environment or a warm weather climate ---both being coastal.

The Heat index, sometimes called the apparent temperature, is a measure of the
contribution that the high temperature and high humidity (expresssed as relative humidity (RH) or dew point temperature) make in reducing the body's ability to cool itself. (3)

(3)

Fort Lauderdale's heat index temperatures of well over 100 degrees during the summer months along with the 133 annual days of perception make it the perfect combination for HOT AND MUGGY.  

San Diego accumulates only 10.77 inches of rain a year contrasted to Florida's 61.39 and it has only 42 days of precipitation.

The air mass that affect both Fort Lauderdale and San Diego are Maritime Tropical and Continental Tropical ---with a variation to Florida, which is also affected by the Continental Polar air mass that occasionally dips down during the winter months. San Diego has a unique air mass characteristic called the 'June Gloom', which is a thick marine layer that is present mainly along the coast. This happens because of the warm, moist air masses moving over the cool ocean current creating an inversion. South Florida never experiences such phenomena, due to the warm currents of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic. Both these coastal areas have their own distintive climatic and geographical features----obviosly appealing to individuals of opposite extremes!!!! (4)

1 US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administaion
2 Integrated Ocean Observing Systems
3 www.ncdc.naoo.gov/ol/cloimate/conversion/heatindexchart.html
 4   http://weathersandiego.blogspot.com/