Friday, April 4, 2025

Today's webcam shot - North WW

Mornin'!  It's 59° in Wildwood NJ.  It's cloudy and dry with winds out of the W-SW at 9-12mph.  There's no rain yet but it appears a storm system has us in its viewfinder.  Who knows if that ol' Cape May Bubble will keep it from checking in.  *See Below.
The weather forecasts says that there's a 80% chance of rain and thunderstorms this morning.  By this afternoon, it should be just cloudy with temps in the low-60s and NW winds shifting to the NE at 10-15mph.  Tonight... 70% chance of rain late with temps around 50° and East winds at 5-10mph.  Tomorrow... cloudy with 25% chance of rain, temps in the mid-50s with E-SE winds at 10-20mph.  Tomorrow night... cloudy, temps in the mid-50s and S-SE winds at 5-10mph.  Sunday... cloudy with occasional rain showers 40% chance, temps in the low-60s and SW winds shifting to the NW at 10-20mph.  Sunday night... periods of rain 90% chance, temps in the low-40s and NE winds at 10-15mph.  
High Tide: 1:34PM
Low Tides: 7:38AM and 7:28PM
Ocean Temp: 48°
Sunrise: 6:38AM
Sunset: 7:26PM

*The term “Cape May Bubble” is often used to describe situations where predicted storms or rain seem to split, dissipate, or change course around Cape May, leaving the area relatively unscathed while neighboring regions experience the full force of the weather event.While the term “bubble” might suggest a physical, protective barrier around Cape May, the phenomenon is, in reality, the result of a complex interplay of geographic and meteorological factors that can influence local weather patterns.
~Geographic Influence
Cape May’s unique location (including Wildwood the town just North (approximately 7 miles or 15 minutes away) plays a significant role in shaping its weather. Being a peninsula bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Delaware Bay to the west, Cape May’s climate is heavily influenced by these large bodies of water. Water has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it can absorb and hold a lot of heat, and it warms up and cools down much slower than land. This results in a moderating influence on the surrounding air temperatures, leading to milder winters and cooler summers compared to inland regions.
~The Role of Sea Breezes
Sea breezes also play a crucial role in the Cape May Bubble phenomenon. During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea, causing the air over the land to rise and creating a low-pressure area. The cooler air over the sea then moves inland to replace the rising warm air, creating a sea breeze.These sea breezes can influence weather patterns, including storm paths. They can cause incoming storms to split or change direction as the cooler, denser sea breeze undercuts the warmer air associated with the storm, disrupting its advancement.
~Influence of Atmospheric Conditions
Lastly, the overall atmospheric conditions can impact how weather systems behave when they approach Cape May. Factors such as temperature, humidity, pressure gradients, and the jet stream can influence the path and intensity of weather systems. These conditions can sometimes align in such a way that they divert storms around Cape May, contributing to the perception of a protective bubble.While the Cape May Bubble may not be a physical shield warding off severe weather, the unique combination of geographic location, sea breezes, and atmospheric conditions can indeed influence the local weather, often making it seem distinct from the rest of New Jersey.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Windy and Gray Day

This Morning's Webcam Shot - North WW

Mornin'!  It's 55° in Wildwood NJ.  It's windy and cloudy.  Ms Sun's up and trying to break through but the clouds have been undefeated.  Winds are out of the South at 20-25mph +gusting. All that wind howling was my alarm clock this morning.  It'll be more overcast with barely any sunshine and  blustery winds throughout the day, temps in the low-60s and S-SW winds at 20-30mph +gusting up to 40mph along with 20% chance of rain showers.  Tonight... cloudy with 25% chance of rain, temps in the upper 50s and SW Winds at 10-20mph +gusting.  Tomorrow... cloudy and gray with 40% chance of rain showers, temps in the low-60s and N-NE winds at 5-10mph.  Tomorrow night... cloudy, temps in the low-50s and East winds at 5-10mph.  There's a 25% chance of rain tomorrow night.  As for this weekend... Saturday looks like the possibility of rain showers throughout the day (40% chance) with temps in the mid-50s and East winds at 10-20mph.  Saturday night... fog and clouds with temps in the low-50s and S-SE winds at 10-20mph.  Sunday... considerable cloudiness, 35% chance of rain with thunderstorms possible, temps in the low-60s and SW winds at 15-25mph.  Sunday night... periods of rain (90% chance), temps in the mid-40s and North winds at 10-15mph.  Monday... rain (75% chance), temps in the upper 40s and N-NE winds at 10-15mph.  Monday night... 55% chance of rain.
High Tide: 12:25PM
Low Tide: 6:29PM
Ocean Temp: 48°
Sunrise: 6:40AM
Sunset: 7:25PM

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Just Keep Thinking... April Showers Bring Those May Flowers!

This Morning's Webcam Shot - North WW

Mornin'!  It's 39° in Wildwood NJ.  It feels like 30° with the E-NE breeze at 10-15mph.  It's clear and starlit as Ms Sun is due up over the horizon in less than a half an hour.  It'll be mostly sunny today with temps in the low-50s and East winds at 10-20mph.  Tonight... patchy fog and cloudy with temps in the upper 40s and S-SE winds at 10-20mph.  There's a 20% chance of a rain shower passing through.  Tomorrow... could be the start of a good homemade soup stretch (next 5 days) as we'll be cloudy and windy with temps in the low-60s.  Leftover March S-SW winds will be 20-30mph +gusting up to 40mph. There's a 40% chance of rain.  Tomorrow night... cloudy, 25% chance of rain, temps in the upper-50s and SW winds at 10-20mph.  Friday... another gray day with 25% chance of rain, temps near 60° and winds out of the North at 10-15mph.  Friday  night... 50% chance of rain, temps in the upper 40s and East winds at 5-10mph.  As for this coming weekend... all I can say is you know what April brings... Saturday looks gray with 60% chance of rain, temps in the mid-50s and East winds at 10-20mph.  Saturday night... cloudy, slight chance of rain (20% chance), temps in the low-50s and S-SE winds at 10-15mph.  Sunday... more gray skies to start with 40% chance of rain by the afternoon, temps in the low-60s and S-SW winds at 10-20mph.  Sunday night... steady rain late, temps in the low-50s and W-SW winds at 10-20mph.  Monday... starting out with rain (70% chance), overcast, temps in the mid-50s and NW winds at 10-15mph.
High Tide: 11:26AM
Low Tide: 5:23PM
Ocean Temp: 47°
Sunrise: 6:41AM
Sunset: 7:24PM

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

April Fool's Day

This Morning's Webcam Shot - North WW

Mornin'!  April's in the house!  Welcome!  She checked in a midnight bringing with her a good dosing of rain and wind not to mention thunder and lightning. That monthly weather opener has begun to settle down now as all that storm system seems to be out to sea.  It's 48° as Ms Sun has just begun to bring her rays as she's moved above that large cloud mass. The ocean side of the island has been completely cloud covered unlike the backside (marsh side) which is clear skies. Winds are stiff out of the NW at 20-25mph +gusting. Feels more like 40° right now.  It looks like we're going to have a mix of sun and clouds today (mostly sun) with gusty winds in the morning. Winds will be gusty most of the day then will settle down this afternoon out of the NW at 10-15mph. Temps are going into the mid-50s.  Tonight... clear, temps in the low-40s and N-NE winds at 10-15mph.  Tomorrow... partly sunny, some clouds in the mix, temps in the low-50s and East winds at 10-20mph.  Tomorrow night... mostly cloudy, temps in the upper 40s and NE winds at 10-15mph.  
High Tide: 10:33AM
Low Tide: 4:32PM
Ocean Temp: 47°
Sunrise: 6:43AM
Sunset: 7:23PM