January 10, 2004 produced unusual ("Arctic") sea conditions off Sandy Hook. With air temperatures near zero and water temperature still in the mid-40's (F), residual summer heat from the seawater poured into the atmosphere producing what mariners call sea smoke or frost smoke.

A temperature differential (Or "Delta-T") of at least 25-degrees is needed create these conditions. Water temperatures off the beach at sunrise were 47-degrees (F) and the air was 1-degree (F).

(Above) In light winds you can detect small swirling vortices of warm vapor escaping upward. Meteorologists nickname them steam-nadoes.
 
Note several cloud types in each image; the most unusual being the gray middle layer of sea smoke; and above that the beginnings of low puffy clouds in a marine layer of moist air drawn from the sea into a dry and clear arctic weather system.

(Below) Activate the video clips by clicking the start button or hitting the F5 key. For more weather and water observations at Sandy Hook, click here, and for weather links, click here.

(Right) Looking north: White clouds from New York City are mostly water vapor from the smokestacks of heating plants in buildings. The tall buildings are masked by gray sea smoke on the bay and below that, the white sea smoke at the surf line.

(Below) At sunset the warmer air at the water surface acts like a lens and creates an optical illusion that exaggerates the refraction of light. This can elongate the object enough to create a mirage and cause a vertical stretching or towering effect of buildings or ships. In extreme cases an inverted image can form. Note the stretching of the base of each building.