great lakes weather patterns

The Great Lakes modify the local weather and climate. Because water temperatures change more slowly than land temperatures, lake waters gain heat in summer and release heat during cooler months. This results in cooler springs, warmer falls, delayed frosts and lake-effect snow.

What is the weather like in the Great Lakes region?

The area of the great lakes spans 244,106 km². It's current climate is cold winters and warm summers and it is located in the southeastern and boreal climate regions. The great lakes act like heat sinks and keep the surrounding area a moderate temperature. As well, the lakes create a lot of moisture in the air.

Which Great Lake has the worst storms?

Many more were stranded or smashed against the rocky shorelines from Lake Superior to Lake Erie. Lake Huron saw the worst of this hellish storm, with eight ships going under and 187 lives lost during one violent six-hour window.

Why are the Great Lakes so dangerous?

Swift Currents Are The Real Danger

Ths shapes of these waves are what contribute to rip tides, which are one of the most dangerous things swimmers can encounter in the water. Lake Michigan's riptide and longshore tides are unparalleled when it comes to danger among all the Great Lakes.

Which of the Great Lakes is the warmest?

Lake Erie peaked at its warmest average reading of 79.3 on July 11, 2020. Lake Ontario got surprisingly warm this summer with the warmest average at 77 degrees. It has cooled less than two degrees in the past week and averages 71.9 degrees F now. Don't just run and jump in at your favorite Great Lakes beach.

Which Great Lake is the shallowest?

Lake Erie, with an average depth of only 62 feet (19 metres), is the shallowest of the Great Lakes.

Are the Great Lakes cold?

The largest volume Great Lake shows the bottom water temperatures are cold. Most of the lake bottom on Lake Superior has water temperatures in the 30s still in this warm summer. ... The water at the bottom of that deep pocket is still 39 degrees to 40 degrees. Bottom water temperatures on Lake Huron on August 20, 2020.

What is the biggest wave ever recorded on Lake Superior?

On Oct. 24, 2017, the NOAA lake buoys recorded 29-foot high short-period waves on Lake Superior north of Marquette, Michigan. These are the highest waves ever reported on the Great Lakes.

What is wrong with Lake Erie?

Environmental Issues

Excessive algal growth in Lake Erie threatens the ecosystem and human health of a waterbody that provides drinking water for 12 million people in the U.S. and Canada. Algae can persist for weeks during summer by blooms carried by winds and currents eastward through the lake.

What is the longest freighter on the Great Lakes?

Tregurtha – Sporting the title “the Queen of the Lakes” for being the largest freighter to sail on the Great Lakes, “Big Paul” is a staggering 1,013 feet in length. The Paul R. Tregurtha is one of the most popular vessels on the Great Lakes.

What is the most dangerous animal in Lake Michigan?

4 Dangerous Species that Swim in Lake Michigan's Waters

Snakehead.
Piranha.
Sea Lamprey.
Bull Shark.

How many dead bodies are in Lake Michigan?

"After being towed by the steamer Aurora, the Dows began taking on water and finally slipped beneath the windswept lake at 2:30 p.m. It still rests there today." It is estimated that more than 10,000 vessels have sunk and approximately 30,000 people have perished on Lake Michigan over the years.

Why is Lake Michigan the deadliest lake?

Lake Michigan is being called the “deadliest” of all the Great Lakes. ... Researchers say it's this state of complacency that causes many deaths in Lake Michigan…by drowning. The waves in Lake Michigan can get huge, and the power of these waves hitting a person can take you by surprise.

Which Great Lake is cleanest?

Many people who've spent much time around the Great Lakes take for granted that Lake Superior is the largest, coldest and clearest of the lakes.

Which Great Lake has the best beaches?

9 Marvelous Great Lakes Beaches You Should Visit in 2021

#9 Minnesota – Singing Iona Beach on the North Shore of Lake Superior. ...
#8 Illinois – The North Avenue Beach of Chicago on Lake Michigan. ...
#7 Ontario Canada's Grand Bend & Ipperwash Beaches on Lake Huron. ...
#6 Ohio's Headlands Beach State Park on Lake Erie. ...
#5 Michigan – Saugatuck Oval Beach on Lake Michigan.

Why does Lake Erie smell so bad?

CLEVELAND, Ohio—As the summer winds down, much of western Lake Erie stinks. Green goo—miles and miles of it—floats on the surface, emanating a smell like rotting fish as it decays. ... But Lake Erie, the shallowest, and therefore the warmest, of the five Great Lakes, is uniquely vulnerable to algal blooms.

What's the most dangerous fish in Lake Erie?

The Sea Lamprey is an invasive parasitic fish that is threatening the native fish species of the Great Lakes.

Is Lake Erie safe to swim in?

“DANGER,” warned a red sign posted in the sand near the edge of Lake Erie. “Avoid all contact with the water.” The reason: The water was contaminated with algae-like cyanobacteria, which can produce toxins that sicken people and kill pets.

Which Great Lake has the most fish?

Lake Erie is home to one of the world's largest freshwater commercial fisheries. Lake Erie's fish populations are the most abundant of the Great Lakes, partially because of the lake's relatively mild temperatures and plentiful supply of plankton, which is the basic building block of the food chain.

Are there sharks in the Great Lakes?

Sharks literally just can't get to the Great Lakes. While they can hang out in the Great Barrier Reef, there are a few barriers like an electrical one in Chicago, locks and dams in the Illinois River and even Niagra Falls, as Great Lakes Guide said.

Which Great Lake is the warmest and shallowest?

Lake Erie is the shallowest, warmest, and most productive of the Great Lakes. Three distinct basins provide a variety of offshore habitats. The Detroit River, Maumee River, and smaller tributaries drain into the western basin, which averages 24 feet deep and contains extremely nutrient-rich water.

Did Lake Michigan ever freeze over?

Wave action and wind, combined with the vast reservoir of heat contained in the lake, have so far prevented complete freezing. ... Lakes Superior, Huron and Erie have frozen over in a few harsh winters since 1900, but Michigan and Ontario have never attained complete ice coverage.