Does the Gulf Stream have an effect on New England weather?
The Gulf Stream is a warm surface current in the Atlantic Ocean that runs from the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest coast of Europe. Although its direct effects on New England s weather are likely small, it does help form and strengthen the nor’easters that sometimes batter the area in winter. The contrast between cold air over land and the warm Gulf Stream water off the Carolina coast help these winter storms develop. The Gulf Stream clearly influences the climate of northwestern Europe, which experiences much warmer temperatures than places that lie on the same latitude along the New England coast. (Answered by Art DeGaetano, Cornell University associate professor of atmospheric sciences, May 1, 2005.
The Gulf Stream is a warm surface current in the Atlantic Ocean that runs from the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest coast of Europe. Although its direct effects on New England s weather are likely small, it does help form and strengthen the nor’easters that sometimes batter the area in winter. The contrast between cold air over land and the warm Gulf Stream water off the Carolina coast help these winter storms develop. The Gulf Stream clearly influences the climate of northwestern Europe, which experiences much warmer temperatures than places that lie on the same latitude along the New England coast.
