Drop in Gulf water temps connected to cold-stunned sea turtle spell

The January cold snap that caused historic snow in Florida has cooled off much of the eastern Gulf

The January cold snap that caused historic snow in Florida has cooled off much of the eastern Gulf

YOUR DOORSTEP. READY TO TREAT YOU, ELISE. >> WELL, OVER 1200 SEA TURTLES ARE SLOWLY BEING RELEASED IN NORTHERN FLORIDA AFTER A COLD STUNNING EVENT LAST WEEK. TAKE A LOOK. THE RTLES WERE TRANSPORTED TO GULF WORLD MARINE INSTITUTE FWC DOCUMENTED THEM FINDING MOST TO BE GREEN TURTLES WITH A FEW LOGGERHEADS AND ONE KEMP'S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE. >> MENTIONED BEFORE WE LIKE TO GET YOU MORE AROUND HERE AT ABC 7. SO LATES TAKE THAT STORY AND THEN TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND DO SOME ANALYSIS ON THESE GULF OF MEXICO WATER TEMPERATURES, AS YOU SAW THERE, MORE THAN 1200 OF THOSE SEA TOWARD TURTLES. WORST COLD, STUNNED BECAUSE OF THE PRETTY SIZABLE DROP IN THE WATER. TEMPERATURES WE'VE NOTICEOVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO, AS YOU KNOW, AIR HEATS AND COOLS DOWN A LOT FASTER THAN THE WATER DOESN'T. IF YOU LOOK WAY OFFSHORE OFF OF OUR COAST RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN STILL FIND EVIDENCE OF WATER TEMPERATURES THAT ARE IN THE MID AND UPPER 70'S. BUT WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE WATER'S CLOSER TO SHORE, THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER AND ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO WHERE THOSE SEA TURTLES AHEAD, THE COLD STUNNING EVENT JUST HERE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. IT'S THANKS. IN PART TO THE SERIES OF COLD FRONTS THAT HAVE MOVED ACROSS NOT ONLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES BUT THE GULF AS A WHOLE. AND HE'S DONE A REAL NUMBER TO SOMETHING CALLED THE WATER TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES ACROSS THE GULF. NOW ON MAPS, LIKE YOU SEE BEHIND ME HERE, AREAS THAT ARE SHADED IN BLUE AND GREEN SHOW YOU WHERE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW AVERAGE FOR TODAY'S DATE. SO YES, THERE IS A LOT OF COLDER THAN AVERAGE WATER RIGHT NOW OFF THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA. THE OTHER HAND OF THIS MAP, THOUGH, THOSE SHOWS YOU WERE AREAS PAINTED IN AN ORANGE AND RED THAT SHOWS YOU WHERE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE STILL ABOVE AVERAGE. FOR TODAY'S DATE. SO YES, THERE IS SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER WATER IN THE GULF OF MEXICO RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEES AS THE TEMPERATURES START TO HEAT UP THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS

Drop in Gulf water temps connected to cold-stunned sea turtle spell

The January cold snap that caused historic snow in Florida has cooled off much of the eastern Gulf

The January cold snap that caused record-shattering snowfall in northern Florida has also helped to significantly cool off water in the Gulf off the west coast of Florida. The drop in water temperature was so significant that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports more than 1,000 sea turtles were rescued off the state's coast after being cold-stunned in the last week.Many of the sea turtles were rescued near St. Joseph Bay, a region of the Gulf west of Apalachicola and east of Panama City. Water temperature data shows many areas of the northern Gulf with sea surface temperatures below 60 degrees, with much of the water just off the western coast of Florida cooler than 70 degrees. Sea surface temperatures this low are colder than what's typical during the last week of January. The latest sea surface temperature anomaly maps depict much of the eastern Gulf running considerably cooler than average for this time of year. In the map below, areas in blue and green depict areas of the Gulf with sea surface temperatures that are below average. Something notable to point out is that water temperatures that are well below average are not being observed across the entire Gulf. In the anomaly map shown above, regions highlighted in orange and red indicate regions of water with above-average temperatures, which is what most of the central and southern Gulf are experiencing as of the most recently available data.Though no cold-stunned sea turtles have been observed off the Gulf Coast of South Florida, should you ever encounter one, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

The January cold snap that caused record-shattering snowfall in northern Florida has also helped to significantly cool off water in the Gulf off the west coast of Florida.

The drop in water temperature was so significant that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports more than 1,000 sea turtles were rescued off the state's coast after being cold-stunned in the last week.

Many of the sea turtles were rescued near St. Joseph Bay, a region of the Gulf west of Apalachicola and east of Panama City.

ABC7 SWFL (WZVN-TV)

St. Joseph Bay

Water temperature data shows many areas of the northern Gulf with sea surface temperatures below 60 degrees, with much of the water just off the western coast of Florida cooler than 70 degrees.

Sea surface temperatures this low are colder than what's typical during the last week of January.

The latest sea surface temperature anomaly maps depict much of the eastern Gulf running considerably cooler than average for this time of year. In the map below, areas in blue and green depict areas of the Gulf with sea surface temperatures that are below average.

ABC7 SWFL (WZVN-TV)

Water Temp Anomaly

Something notable to point out is that water temperatures that are well below average are not being observed across the entire Gulf.

In the anomaly map shown above, regions highlighted in orange and red indicate regions of water with above-average temperatures, which is what most of the central and southern Gulf are experiencing as of the most recently available data.

Though no cold-stunned sea turtles have been observed off the Gulf Coast of South Florida, should you ever encounter one, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Drop in Gulf water temps connected to cold-stunned sea turtle spell

The January cold snap that caused historic snow in Florida has cooled off much of the eastern Gulf

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