More dangerous waves on Lake Michigan expected through tonight
Red flag conditions are back on many Lake Michigan beaches tonight as waves swell to 4 to 6 feet on Michiana shorelines.
4:55 PM- Wave heights are really picking up in St. Joe. Stay out of the water! #miwx#LakeMichigan@NWSIWX@TomCoomespic.twitter.com/zeEnBpyWq8
— Dave Caulfield (@DaveCaulfield_) August 4, 2020
Northerly and northwesterly winds are causing the spike in wave heights, with rip currents once again a concern.
What a difference a few feet can make!
— Dave Caulfield (@DaveCaulfield_) August 4, 2020
Not just in wave heights, but in water temps...
Protected side: 68 degrees
Unprotected side: 54 degrees #miwx#LakeMichigan@ABC57Newspic.twitter.com/1rFu0DkGpb
Lake Michigan has already taken 26 lives in 2020 alone. Stay out of the water and off of local piers until Wednesday, when wave heights are expected to fall below 3 feet.
Rough surf and cool air temperatures kept many out of the water Tuesday. However, water temperatures, especially in those turbulent areas of the lake, also likely played a factor. Massive amounts of upwelling caused lake temperatures to plummet into the 50s Tuesday evening. Some shore spots north of Michiana reported August water temperatures in the 40s on Tuesday.
Did you know you can use Shortwave Infrared Satellite imaging to detect different things at the earth surface like forest fires, fog, and in our case today, upwelling in Lake Michigan resulting in cooler water temperatures along the West MI lakeshore? #LakeMichigan#wmiwx#miwxpic.twitter.com/246BnWJyb5
— NWS Grand Rapids (@NWSGrandRapids) August 4, 2020
Yellow flag conditions return on Wednesday, with better beach weather expected for the end of the workweek.
