WEST MICHIGAN — Temperatures have dropped dramatically around West Michigan. Additionally, rain showers and strong winds are in the forecast for the remainder of the week. Lake Michigan remains warm with temperatures clocking in the middle and upper 60s. These conditions are ripe for a weather phenomena known as waterspouts.
Keep an eye out over the big lake on Friday as waterspout potential is higher according to the National Weather Service.
Waterspouts are quite common on Lake Michigan, and in September, places like Chicago and Milwaukee experienced a few. Our sister station WTMJ in Milwaukee, WIreported on waterspout sightings.
What happens is cold air travels over the relatively warm open waters and creates this large temperature difference then forming the funnel we commonly think of as a tornado. Water temperature, air temperature, moisture and wind speed are all parameters considered in order for them to form. Typically, we need to have warm water, cold and moist air with relatively light wind speeds. Waterspouts usually last from about two to twenty minutes, and move along at speeds of 10 to 15 knots, according to the National Weather Service.
There's actually two types of waterspouts that can form; tornadic and fair weather. Tornadic waterspouts act like land tornadoes and can form over water or move from land to the water. We usually see fair weather waterspouts as they happen only out over water and are short lived and move less. Fair weather waterspouts are rarely dangerous mostly impacting anyone out on the water or if they do happen to move on-shore they tend to dissipate quickly causing little to no damage.
We see these form over the Great Lakes region around late summer and early fall typically during the months of August, September and October.
