Aircraft, buoy and satellite measurements have been used across the Gulf Stream during January 25-30, 1986. During the pre-storm conditions prior to January 25, the spatial structure of the SST field played an important role in generating a shallow atmospheric frontal zone along the Gulf Stream front by causing differential heating of the marine atmospheric boundary layer over the stream versus over the cooler shelf waters. As this front moved shoreward on January 25, the warm, moist, maritime air flowing northwestward behind the front induced moderate ocean-to-atmosphere heat fluxes (~300W m-2 total heat flux measured over the core of the Gulf Stream). The subsequent outbreak of eastward flowing cold, dry, continental air over the ocean on January 27 and 28 generated high total heat fluxes (~1060W m-2 over the core of the Stream), as did a second, somewhat weaker outbreak which followed on January 30 (~680W m-2 over the core of the Stream)
