BELGIUM, Wisc. – This photograph appeared on the website Storm Chaser Movies on Tuesday, claiming to show a waterspout that formed over Lake Michigan. The post included a little insight into what made the waterspout occur during this extreme cold.
The thin white-colored rope is barely visible in the center of the photo. Waterspouts are possible in winter, due to the same processes that generate lake-effect clouds and snow — the extreme differential between the water and air temperatures over Lake Michigan and the convective energy that differential creates.
Waterspouts on the Great Lakes are most common in the late summer and early fall as the first outbreaks of cold air move into the region while the lakes are still very warm.
For more videos and images, head to the Storm Chaser Videos main website.
