If you watched WeatherNation at all on Friday, you know how incredible the waves were on Lake Superior.
But it’s actually been a pretty rough week for the Great Gitchee Gummee.
I am very angry today.
— Lake Superior (@LakeSuperior) October 24, 2017
Winter Storm
By now you’ve heard of the winter storm pummelling the Upper Midwest, if not– here’s some reading to catch you up:
That storm did more than just dump incredible amounts of snow:
It also kicked up some incredible winds:
Waves
Stronger winds mean bigger waves.
And all of that wind caused some pretty incredible waves to form on Lake Superior!
Brrr… It's a snowy and windy day in Duluth, Minnesota! Where are you watching from and what's the weather like where you are? Thanks to DuluthHarborCam.com for this chilly view.
Posted by WeatherNation on Friday, October 27, 2017
Before this was recorded, the guy in the red jacket found himself at ground zero for a wave that came straight over the breakwater!
Wind blows across the top of the water, pushing the top most layer. All of that water starts to gather as it is pushed. The faster wind creates more and more waves, and each additional bit of wind adds to the pushing of water– making the waves bigger.
Waves are one of the most fascinating bits of weather. Winds add to waves heights, but waves interacting with other waves can change amplitude as well!
A bit too complicated for today, but look for a more detailed article on this in the coming days.
A Big Wave Week
Even before our most recent day of sizeable swells, Lake Superior was a bit rough.
Check out this tweet from Superior Watershed earlier in the week about that wave!
28.8 foot wave recorded this morning at the Munising buoy! @GLOSystem @LimnoTech @NOAA_GLERL @NorthernMichU @LakeSuperior @NWSMarquette pic.twitter.com/xfhnhc77bA
— Superior Watershed (@SWPLandTrust) October 24, 2017
If you simply google “Lake Superior Twitter” you stumble on what is now one of my favorite twitter accounts…
I achieved new heights yesterday.
28.8 feet.
Buoya!
— Lake Superior (@LakeSuperior) October 25, 2017
For WeatherNation — Meteorologist Jeremy LaGoo