The Gulf Stream is an oceanic current that originates off the east coast of Florida and east of the Gulf of Mexico, the source of it’s name.The North Atlantic is dominated by clockwise spinning oceanic currents, and relative stability in the Sargasso Sea, in the center. The western boundary of those currents is the Gulf Stream.
The Gulf Stream imports warm Caribbean water northward along the East Coast of the United States, towards the Canadian Maritimes and eventually into the far north Atlantic. Aside from making beaches a bit more enjoyable for the East Coast, it also acts as a course for weather systems to follow, providing a source of evaporating water and convective energy thanks to the relative warmth of the water.
We see the Gulf Stream come into play during hurricane season, as hurricanes remain stronger than they otherwise would at their latitude, as they strafe the east coast. Also, the Gulf Stream is a prime culprit for the intensity of winter time nor’Easters.