January-thaw singularity and wave climates along the Eastern coast of the USA

Abstract

METEOROLOGICAL singularities—recurrent weather phenomena at or near specific calendar dates¹—have been reported throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Although not fully recognised as real phenomena by most meteorologists, singularities continue to merit the attention of some investigators. Although the general relationship between wind fields over open oceans and generation of waves by wind are well known, there are no reports in the literature on coastal wave climates and atmospheric singularities. I have observed that extreme frequencies of surf from directions more typical of the summer season occur at the time of the ‘January-thaw’ meteorological singularity (January 20–23). Here I present observations of wave climates from Florida to Rhode Island at the time of the January thaw.