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Northeast is in for snow, winds and 20-foot waves on Great Lakes

Published

February 27, 2020

According to the National Weather Service, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario could see some very sizable waves Thursday night, along with storm-force winds up to 50 knots – diminishing to 40-knot gales. Freezing spray, and lake-effect snow.

There are storm warnings in effect for the open waters of Lake Ontario from the Niagara River to the Saint Lawrence River, along with blizzard warnings in effect for parts of western New York state, according to Forbes.

Swells approaching 20-feet have also been spotted on the southern portion of Lake Michigan, according to reporting from CNN. The winter storm is expected to move east into New England and then into Canada. The coast of Maine has been warned of possible hurricane-force winds, while high wind advisories stretch as far south as South Carolina.

Photos of lakeshore flooding & large waves at Whiting Lakefront Park this morning, shared by Jerry Smith. A Lakeshore Flood Warning remains in effect until 9AM Thu for Lake & Porter Co IN (3pm today for Lake IL & 7pm for Cook). Avoid flood prone areas near the lake. #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/6G2dz4nH3T

— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 26, 2020

Climate Change feedback loop
There is a scientific reason for what is happening on the Great Lakes, and it has a lot to do with that feedback loop we have talked about a number of times. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a warm winter has left the main Great Lakes largely ice-free, which churns up more lake effect snow.

This week, the lakes are only 9 percent covered in ice, compared with a typical 42 percent average coverage. That’s the lowest on record since 1973. There are also a few key factors that feed the huge waves on the Great Lakes, including wind speed and direction, wave direction and fetch, and the distance over water that the wind blows in a single direction.

Other important factors include water surface temperature, water levels, and cloud cover. All these factors are taken into account in creating a Great Lakes Coastal Forecast. Interestingly, no one factor can create waves as high as those predicted without the others.

Here's some Go Pro video of Lake Erie waves crashing down on our news vehicle, enjoy! @WGRZ #BlizzardWarning pic.twitter.com/n8DkcqshZN

— Jeff Preval (@PrevalWGRZ) February 27, 2020

In this article:20foot or more waves, great lakes, lakefront flooding, Northeast, warm winter

Written By Karen Graham

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.