- Joined
- Jul 9, 2007
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I know there's quite a few from the Carver forum who call Lake Erie home. I recently found this on the Environment Canada web site and found it so intriguing, I thought I'd share.....
Volume 16, Number 02 February 7, 2008
High Winds Tilt Lake Erie's Surface 4.7 metres
An incredibly sharp Arctic cold front with very powerful winds in its wake passed through the Great Lakes region on January 30.
Behind the cold front, there were very strong westerly winds, with the highest wind reading – 126 kilometres per hour – recorded at Port Colborne at 6 a.m.
Sustained winds pushed the water in Lake Erie toward the eastern end of the lake, causing a maximum positive surge (a short time-period increase in water levels often referred to as storm set-up) of 2.95 metres above pre-storm levels at Buffalo, NY. As levels rose at the eastern end of the lake, there was a corresponding negative surge (or set-down) at the western end of the lake. At Toledo, Ohio, levels fell 2.39 metres below pre-storm levels. Although the maximum positive and negative surges did not occur at the same time, for a short period of time during the storm the difference between water levels recorded at Buffalo and Toledo was more than 4.7 metres. In fact, the tilt in the lake's surface from one end to the other was more than 4 metres for more than 4 ВЅ hours and in excess of 3 metres for almost eight hours during the storm.
The storm also caused smaller, but notable, surges at other locations around the Great Lakes. For example, at Goderich and Parry Sound on Lake Huron, water levels rose approximately 0.4 and 0.6 metres, respectively, for a short period of time. On Lake Ontario, levels at Kingston increased by 0.5 metres as levels at Burlington dropped roughly 0.4 metres.
Please be Cautious
As the January storm demonstrates, local water levels can rise or fall dramatically in a very short period of time due to meteorological disturbances. Large wind-induced waves are usually superimposed on these short time-period changes. LEVELnews readers are reminded to exercise extra caution when near the water's edge during a storm event.
Volume 16, Number 02 February 7, 2008
High Winds Tilt Lake Erie's Surface 4.7 metres
An incredibly sharp Arctic cold front with very powerful winds in its wake passed through the Great Lakes region on January 30.
Behind the cold front, there were very strong westerly winds, with the highest wind reading – 126 kilometres per hour – recorded at Port Colborne at 6 a.m.
Sustained winds pushed the water in Lake Erie toward the eastern end of the lake, causing a maximum positive surge (a short time-period increase in water levels often referred to as storm set-up) of 2.95 metres above pre-storm levels at Buffalo, NY. As levels rose at the eastern end of the lake, there was a corresponding negative surge (or set-down) at the western end of the lake. At Toledo, Ohio, levels fell 2.39 metres below pre-storm levels. Although the maximum positive and negative surges did not occur at the same time, for a short period of time during the storm the difference between water levels recorded at Buffalo and Toledo was more than 4.7 metres. In fact, the tilt in the lake's surface from one end to the other was more than 4 metres for more than 4 ВЅ hours and in excess of 3 metres for almost eight hours during the storm.
The storm also caused smaller, but notable, surges at other locations around the Great Lakes. For example, at Goderich and Parry Sound on Lake Huron, water levels rose approximately 0.4 and 0.6 metres, respectively, for a short period of time. On Lake Ontario, levels at Kingston increased by 0.5 metres as levels at Burlington dropped roughly 0.4 metres.
Please be Cautious
As the January storm demonstrates, local water levels can rise or fall dramatically in a very short period of time due to meteorological disturbances. Large wind-induced waves are usually superimposed on these short time-period changes. LEVELnews readers are reminded to exercise extra caution when near the water's edge during a storm event.
