Windier at night in SE U.S.?

[asahi]

I've spent about 7 nights going around key west and up the east coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina staying about 10 miles off shore and 6 of those nights, it was considerably more windy and choppy at night than during the day. Is this due to some phenomenon or was I just randomly on the water when it was choppier at night? This was in June and September.

[StuM]

Don't know local conditions there, but a WAG would suggest that the prevailing winds were being abated by sea breezes during the day and reinforced by land breezes at night.

[dennismenace111]

I think you just got lucky. The winds usually calm after dark.

Remember, land heats faster than sea. That causes warm air over the land to rise faster than the air over the sea at the same time of day. This rising air is conducive to generating an onshore breeze from the ocean to the land.

When the sun sets, tempo fall and it all subsides till next morning.

I've live in South Florida all my life and that's generally the weather pattern.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by StuM

Don't know local conditions there, but a WAG would suggest that the prevailing winds were being abated by sea breezes during the day and reinforced by land breezes at night.

Actually in FL you are in the trade wind belt so east winds that, if effected by land/sea breezes would be augmented instead of abated by sea breezes in the day on the east coast