GRAY, Maine — The heat has returned to Maine and it seems like it's almost beach season. But we aren't there quite yet.
The weather can be tricky this time of year, and a trip to a lake or beach is no exception.
High temperatures have been inching closer to 80 degrees while water temperatures are stuck around 50. That makes cold water dangerous.
Cold water can send your body into shock and can lead to hypothermia or drowning.
Symptoms like cognitive impairment, increased heart rate, and loss of muscular control can start in minutes or seconds.
It might not seem like it, but water below 70 degrees is considered cold and the Gulf of Maine never gets that warm.
The warmest Casco Bay will get all year is 62 degrees.
Gray's National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Donny Dumont said cold water and cold air affect your body differently.
"People don't realize how quickly your body loses heat when it's in water. 40-degree water is not like 40-degree air temperature. Completely different dynamics and how quick you lose body heat," Dumont said.
That's because cold water can drain your body heat four times faster than cold air.
Dumont said you should always wear a life jacket. Even if you're not in the water but instead on a boat or kayak, you still want to be prepared as a life vest significantly increases your chances of survival.
- Aaron