Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa writes on Michigan Live about the lingering effect of historic ice extent last winter in the Great Lakes and late ice melt this summer due to that extent:
Lakes Superior and Lake Michigan are currently six degrees colder than last year. If the water continues to remain colder than normal, it could have an impact on Michigan’s winter in several ways.
Currently Lake Superior has an average surface water temperature of 47.6 degrees. Last year on this date Lake Superior was at 53.7 degrees. The long-term average water temperature on Lake Superior for October 11 is 51.1 degrees.
So Lake Superior is 6.1 degrees colder than this time last year, and 3.5 degrees colder than normal.
Lake Michigan has an average surface water temperature of 56.0 degrees, while last year at this time it was 62.1 degrees. The long-term average water temperature on Lake Michigan for October 11 is 58.4 degrees.
Lake Michigan is also 6.1 degrees colder than this time last year, and 2.4 degrees colder than average.
Lake Huron is 5 degrees colder than last year, and only 1.5 degrees colder than normal.
This map above shows current surface water temperatures on the Great Lakes. Lake Superior has a large area of water with temperatures in the 40s. (Source: Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory)
He goes on to talk about the effects this might have on winter:
A warmer Lake Superior and Lake Michigan can really have a modifying effect on bitter cold temperatures. For example, in an early season cold outbreak, Green Bay, WI may have a temperature of 20 degrees. Traverse City, on our side of Lake Michigan, may hold in the mid 30s for temperatures. I usually figure there is a 10 to 20 degree warming effect from Lake Michigan, and also Lake Superior.
But if the lake temperatures continue at this colder pace, cold air will have an easier time moving into Michigan.
So the first impact of cold water could be earlier cold temperatures in November and December.
If the lakes continue through winter colder than normal, freezing over of the lakes would happen earlier.
How does this cold fact square up in the face of claims of “hottest ever”? Is the region in for a record cold winter? It sure looks like it may be more likely due to the influence of this massive heat sink.
[headline updated for accuracy – mod]
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Sorry – “ice free from the end of May ” though no doubt there is a substantial charge for visiting the area in modern capitalist Russia.
I demand you take this article down. You musn’t go against the “Brotherhood’s” orthodoxy!!!
A good storm can lower the surface temps of Lake Superior 10 or 20 degrees…so it really depends on when the temps are taken, or if they are taken over a longer time period.
The big lake froze over last year and we still had over 300 inches of snow in the Keweenaw. People up here are preparing for the worst. There seems to be a lot more people with firewood in their yards this fall.
Lots of apples and acorns this year.
If the lake levels don’t go down there is going to be some trouble with erosion. Mclain State Park on the north side of the Keweenaw has taken a big hit this summer.
Ok, wasn’t this the first winter in a long time that all of the lakes completely froze over? Yes. It was. So why is this a surprise. We also had a very mild summer.
This is the exact OPPOSITE of what the Global Warming Gurus told us would happen. How much more contradictory information do we need to call them WRONG!
I can’t take much more of this global warming. LOL.
Due to the ice covering the Great Lakes last winter and abundant rain this summer, the lakes are 21 inches higher than last year. That is a bunch of water that the summer sun had to try to warm up, which just didn’t happen. I’ve been telling my family/friends that this winter will more than likely be a cold and snowy winter because the lakes are up and the lakes are cooler.
On the bright side, colder lakes could lead to less lake effect snow.
HUH? COLD LAKES CAUSE lake affect snow…..Obama voter, huh?
TEMPERATURES RISING ALL OVER THE ENTIRE WORLD (global warming) causes record cold temperatures….. Obama says so, and we all know what an accomplished scientist he is.
Climate and Weather are synonyms…..you can google climate definition if you are an ignorant democrat liar spewing socialist idiocy…….How stupid are Democrats for just now figuring out that the weather changes?
Oh I tell ya it was a cold one down here in Scranton, Pa this passed winter. My cousin up in Grand Rapids told me to check this page out. Looks like another cold one for us again this year.
Hey, it’s all good. Whether temps go up or down, whether arctic ice increases or decreases, whether there are more or less storms during storm season, whether it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter, “global warming”/”climate change” is to blame for ALL of it. And, of course, only communism can “fix” everything.
Global warming is the faith based religion of the left. No warming since 1996, ice caps thicker than they have been in my lifetime, record record low temps, and the zealots keep preaching and the faithful still believe.
Reblogged this on This Got My Attention and commented:
Brrrrr, imagine swimming in Lake Superior right now, 47.6 degrees, at the end of Summer! Let’s get Algore right on it!
[snip racism discussion – waaaaaaaaayyyyy ff topic -mod]
Perhaps all those weather modification and spraying tests are WAY over-calculated and are about to cause a crisis, rather than solve a phony one.
Perhaps all the weather modification testing is causing a greater catastrophe than the one they think it’s solving?
This only proves that I am right and I am entitled to keep my 100’s of Millions because. F. U..
Dems get money from people any way they can, they don’t care. Global Warming is just another scam to get money so they can keep their corrupt colleagues in office.
Yeah, because the science is settled