Water Temperatures in Low Flow, Hot Weather Conditions

Looking at the USGS streamflow data and the temperature graph for the Tully. Does anyone have a logical reason for the drastic 7-8 degree decrease in water temperature on August 1? I can't imagine what would have caused the temp to go down like that at this time of year. Maybe it was just a glitch in the monitoring equipment?
 
Dc-

Mike explained it in another post. From what I understand they were mixing warm and cold water to keep the temp around 70 at 8am. With the temps the way they are, they can no longer cut the cold water with warm water and they are releasing only cold water. When all of the cold water is exhausted the temps will jump again.
 
Thanks for the info, guys, and for the link to the other thread.
 
Central PA got a good soaker yesterday with widespread storms across a wide range of central counties. I checked briefly at water levels for Pine, West Branch Susky, Penns etc., and all show upticks.

Probably won't affect temps, and rivers will remain low...but it's some good weather news that has largely erased the big blob of red dots across center state (at least for awhile).

Down here in southcentral (Adams Co) we have had a lot more rain lately, three inches in my rain guage in the last couple weeks.
 
Looks like a flip flop. Here in the south hills we got a pretty steady diet of drenching downpours but becoming much more spotty. The forecast shows rain for the next 5 days at least. Tired of the heat. Bring on fall.
 
Yep. You can thank me for the rain. I planned on detailing the old lady's car this weekend. Now its supposed to rain all weekend.
 
Bermuda high has set up shop, which forces gulf moisture right on up the apps. Gonna be a few weeks of this.


Soupy, thick, disgusting air. It's hard to hit ridonculous temperatures when there's this much moisture, so low 90's tops. But heat + moist air = constant threat of scattered T-storms, with threats highest in afternoon and evenings. Probably low probability of severe storms, though. Not enough wind or shear. Just disorganized downpour type storms.
 
State college checked in at 3.42" yesterday. 3rd wettest day in the month of August ever.

Getting more today up there.

Me. Haven't had a drop. Yet. Been dodging them I guess. Then again there was no drought down here to speak of, and we are supposed to get it tonight.
 
Finally, the NC is getting a good amount of much needed rain from these t-storms. It's been a long time coming.
 
A reminder to please continue to keep an eye on water temps even with all this rain. It won't necessarily cool the streams much - I got fooled a few times earlier this summer thinking rain would cool things off only to drive to a stream and find warm water and inactive trout. Essentially took the rod for a walk. With the humid air it isn't cooling off much at night.
 
It was 74-76 here in Westmoreland county the past couple nights. I don't think what scattered rain we got will help fishing much. A friend of mine lost a musky after a 10 minute fight. It just expired. He was about sick to his stomach over it but it was hooked deep with heavy gear and it was about all he could do to get it in as fast as he could. The surface water of this lake was low 80's. It's to the point that it's not safe to pull on a lot of the cool/warm water fish for very long in a lot of places, at least around here. The extended forecast shows some cooler weather and rain next week tho. It should help the rivers and lakes out. I'll continue my air conditioned hibernation until then lol.
 
Agree on watching temps. Streams that normally top out in the high 60's usually get relief with cool overnight air temps in the 50's or low 60's. We aren't getting that so many waters are running warmer than normal I think it was yesterday morning.... 78 air temp with 77 dewpoint at 7am. That's crazy. Looking forward to some nights with lows in the 40's and daytime highs of 60-65.
 
Typically a runoff event won't cool streams. And it can temporarily warm them, especially if it's a warm rain or if it's running off of hot pavement!

But some portion of that rain doesn't run off, it soaks into the soil. And that will result in better flows from springs. Which will cool waters, as will be noticeable after the runoff portion of the event ends and spring flow again becomes the bulk of the flow. Springs emerge at 55-60 degrees regardless of how warm the night was. Though air temperature obviously plays a roll in how quickly it warms after it emerges. Still, more spring flow is good.

That's true for limestoners and freestoners alike. The difference is in how quickly those boosted spring flows diminish.
 
I was in the area of Dunbar creek today around 1:30. I packed my thermometer to check the water temperature and the reading I got was 74 degrees! The flow was the lowest I have ever seen in the past 4 summers... It's just a bit over a trickle.
 
MathFish wrote:
I was in the area of Dunbar creek today around 1:30. I packed my thermometer to check the water temperature and the reading I got was 74 degrees! The flow was the lowest I have ever seen in the past 4 summers... It's just a bit over a trickle.
Click to expand...

Wow! That's a real shame. I imagine there'll be at least some significant brook trout die off there. The headwaters will repopulate it but I doubt it'll be what it was for at least a couple years. Talk about a set back for a creek that's really been on the up the past couple years from what it was, or at least seemed like it to me.
 
Here in SCPA we have had storms almost every day for the past several days. Today, PA has a second round of storms passing over western PA right now after a pretty severe one passed over the SC a few hours ago.

Water levels aren't budging much here in SC, but we're certainly getting the precip that we need. Still likely to be awhile before I do much trout fishing, but things are really looking green around here in Adams County.
 
OK here is a funny exchange in text messages I had yesterday with my Daughter who attends ESU. She plays field hockey and was out creek walking with the team in a local creek. Anyway, she sends the pic of her with a dead trout and you can see from the exchange she was not my fishing buddy as a kid. LOL.

Anyway, enjoy the pics and dialogue.
 

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