Editing Ocean City, Maryland (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Ocean City MD pier from south.jpeg|thumb|Ocean City pier and beach]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|36.37|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|4.41|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|31.96|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 25, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=July 2, 2012}}</ref>

Ocean City is located on [[Fenwick Island (Delaware–Maryland)|Fenwick Island]], a barrier [[Spit (landform)|spit]] which encompasses Ocean City, as well as [[South Bethany, Delaware|South Bethany]] and [[Fenwick Island, Delaware]]. Ocean City's southern point is an inlet formed by the [[1933 Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane]]. Rainfall and tides swelled the rivers and bays surrounding Ocean City until the overflowing water cut a 50-foot crevasse from the bay to the ocean. Ocean City businessmen had long sought funding to create an inlet to support a harbor, so residents seized the opportunity and built jetties to ensure the city's land remained divided from what is now [[Assateague Island]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/eastern-shore/bal-hurricane2003,0,7880742.story|title=Reborn in a Hurricane|work=www.baltimoresun.com|publisher=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=August 31, 2009|archive-date=August 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802153350/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/eastern-shore/bal-hurricane2003,0,7880742.story|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, Ocean City, Maryland has a [[humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa'') or [[Oceanic climate|oceanic]]  with long, warm to hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-round precipitation. Ocean City receives 2300 hours of sunshine annually (higher than the US average). Temperatures are moderate in Ocean City due to its location on the Atlantic coast. During the summer months, a cooling afternoon [[sea breeze]] is present on most days with an average of only 10 days annually reaching {{convert|90|°F|0}}. However, in 2010 the temperature rose to {{convert|103|°F|0}} which was the hottest air temperature on record, and episodes of extreme heat combined with tropical humidity can occur with [[heat index]] values ≥ {{convert|100|°F|1}}. The prominence of the [[Outer Banks]] of North Carolina to the south means direct hits from [[tropical storm]]s and [[hurricane]]s are rare, although they sometimes brush the area. The [[Atlantic hurricane season]] extends from June 1 through November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September.

During the winter months, Ocean City has cool weather with an average high of 45 F (7.5 C), however periods of mild temperatures in the 50 to 60 F range are common. The air temperature fails to rise above freezing 5.8 days on average and the [[plant hardiness zone]] is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of {{convert|9.1|°F}}.<ref name="USDA">{{cite web|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx|publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]]|access-date=August 7, 2019|title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704214427/https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> On rare occasion, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with [[wind chill]] values under {{convert|5|°F}}. The coldest temperature on record was {{convert|-6|°F|0}}. The average seasonal (Dec-Mar) snowfall total is small, with {{convert|6|to|12|in|cm|abbr=on}}, and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in [[nor'easter]] activity.

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| single line = Y
| location = Ocean City Beach, MD (1981-2010 Averages)
| Jan record high F = 77
| Feb record high F = 78
| Mar record high F = 88
| Apr record high F = 94
| May record high F = 98
| Jun record high F = 102
| Jul record high F = 103
| Aug record high F = 100
| Sep record high F = 99
| Oct record high F = 94
| Nov record high F = 84
| Dec record high F = 78
| year record high F = 103
| Jan high F  = 44.6
| Feb high F  = 46.1
| Mar high F  = 53.1
| Apr high F  = 61.1
| May high F  = 69.9
| Jun high F  = 79.5
| Jul high F  = 83.7
| Aug high F  = 82.4
| Sep high F  = 77.3
| Oct high F  = 67.8
| Nov high F  = 57.5
| Dec high F  = 49.0
| year high F = 64.3
| Jan mean F  = 36.1
| Feb mean F  = 37.7
| Mar mean F  = 44.0
| Apr mean F  = 52.6
| May mean F  = 61.4
| Jun mean F  = 71.3
| Jul mean F  = 76.0
| Aug mean F  = 74.7
| Sep mean F  = 68.7
| Oct mean F  = 59.1
| Nov mean F  = 48.3
| Dec mean F  = 40.4
| year mean F = 55.9
| Jan low F  = 27.6
| Feb low F  = 29.3
| Mar low F  = 35.0
| Apr low F  = 44.1
| May low F  = 53.0
| Jun low F  = 63.1
| Jul low F  = 68.3
| Aug low F  = 67.1
| Sep low F  = 60.1
| Oct low F  = 50.5
| Nov low F  = 39.2
| Dec low F  = 31.7
| year low F = 47.4
| Jan record low F = −6
| Feb record low F = −2
| Mar record low F = 8
| Apr record low F = 22
| May record low F = 30
| Jun record low F = 40
| Jul record low F = 45
| Aug record low F = 41
| Sep record low F = 31
| Oct record low F = 22
| Nov record low F = 15
| Dec record low F = −2
| year record low F = −6
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch  = 3.43
| Feb precipitation inch  = 3.06
| Mar precipitation inch  = 3.99
| Apr precipitation inch  = 3.36
| May precipitation inch  = 3.63
| Jun precipitation inch  = 3.31
| Jul precipitation inch  = 3.37
| Aug precipitation inch  = 4.66
| Sep precipitation inch  = 3.48
| Oct precipitation inch  = 3.30
| Nov precipitation inch  = 3.14
| Dec precipitation inch  = 3.64
| year precipitation inch = 42.37
| humidity colour = green
| Jan humidity    = 68.8
| Feb humidity    = 68.4
| Mar humidity    = 63.9
| Apr humidity    = 66.0
| May humidity    = 71.4
| Jun humidity    = 74.4
| Jul humidity    = 74.8
| Aug humidity    = 76.3
| Sep humidity    = 74.7
| Oct humidity    = 72.9
| Nov humidity    = 71.1
| Dec humidity    = 69.5
| year humidity   = 71.0
| Jan dew point F = 27.4
| Feb dew point F = 29.0
| Mar dew point F = 33.5
| Apr dew point F = 42.7
| May dew point F = 53.3
| Jun dew point F = 63.4
| Jul dew point F = 68.4
| Aug dew point F = 67.7
| Sep dew point F = 61.5
| Oct dew point F = 50.8
| Nov dew point F = 41.2
| Dec dew point F = 31.9
| year dew point F = 47.7
| source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=akq
|title = 1981-2010 Normals for Ocean City, Maryland
|access-date = April 18, 2021}}</ref>
| date   = January 2018
|source 2 = PRISM<ref name=prism>{{cite web|url=http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/|title=PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University|access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref>}}