Low weather temperatures cause a lake’s water to become cold. Annual precipitation in the Great Lakes region has generally increased over the past several decades. While Ontario is generally included in the definition of the Great Lakes region, this website focuses on climate resilience in the United States and is intended to serve the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes region. I was thinking it would be just the opposite with these hot temperatures. The Great Lakes region includes agricultural lands, forests, urban areas, diverse shorelines, and—of course—the Great Lakes themselves. The number in each black circle is the percent change over the entire period (1958–2016). This past week really hot temperatures have sent the Great Lakes water temperatures up really high. The low 70s are expected in much of Lake Michigan, from Manistee to St. Joseph, as well as Ontario; and the upper 70s in the Huron waters closest to Bay City and the Erie waves off Toledo. Some water temperatures are flirting with 80 degrees. This data on the average monthly surface water temperature on the Great Lakes coast in June. ️ Well...relatively speaking. The navigation season increased by an average of eight days between 1994 and 2011: extra days for shipping can benefit commerce, but navigable conditions can also increase shoreline scouring and bring in more invasive species. Adapted from the Synthesis of the Third National Climate Assessment for the Great Lakes Region. Lake Michigan is running almost 11 degrees above average and Lake Erie is hovering around 80 degrees. In addition, fluctuating lake levels influence how people use and interact with shorelines. Observations have not documented any change in drought duration in the region (or the larger Midwest region) over the past century. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of 34 university-based programs. Get Great Lakes hidden gems and insider information delivered straight to your inbox! Great Lakes Water Temperatures. Summer surface water temperature in Lake Huron increased 5.2°F between 1968 and 2002. That’s why sun-seekers flocking to the waters for swimming, boating or even walks on the pier should bring fitted life-jackets and flotation devices, said Jamie Racklyeft, executive director of the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium. The duration of seasonal ice cover decreased in most areas of the Great Lakes between 1973 and 2013. I noticed it was high last Friday. So, get your beach bag ready and start planning your trip to the water! Together, the Great Lakes make up the largest freshwater system on Earth, containing 84 percent of North America’s fresh surface water. Synthesis of the Third National Climate Assessment for the Great Lakes Region, Great Lakes Observing System | An IOOS Regional Data Portal, 2017 Annual Climate Trends and Impacts Summary for the Great Lakes Basin, State of Climate Change Science in the Great Lakes Basin: A Focus on Climatological, Hydrological and Ecological Effects. Sun warms the surface waters of a lake. Grand Haven, Lake Michigan. Ice cover declines will lengthen the commercial navigation season. This mixing also helps circulate nutrients throughout the lake. Record warm water is in place on four of five Great Lakes. Nonprofit Web Design by Boxcar Studio, Guide to Writing An Inquiry-based Question. On average, a 1,000-foot ship sinks one inch lower in the water for every 270 tons of cargo it carries. These lake surface temperatures are projected to rise by as much as 7°F by 2050 and 12.1°F by 2100. As the region warms and ice cover diminishes in winter, models predict that more lake-effect snow will occur. Wind also plays a role. The graphs on the left show annual averages for the full time period, while the graphs on the right show how average daily temperatures have changed between two time periods for comparison: 2006–2015 versus 1995–2004. Fall Changes are the difference between the average for present-day (1986–2016) and the average for the first half of the last century (1901–1960 for the contiguous United States, 1925–1960 for Alaska and Hawai‘i). Clicking on the hyperlinked "Recent Temperatures" will display station information for the location. This project has received funding support from the Government of Ontario. When the temperature of the water reaches 4 degrees C or 39.2 F (as it does in the spring), it reaches its maximum density or heaviness, and it sinks. But the National Weather Service has a word of caution: the water in the Great Lakes might be too cold. Swimmers may notice this sharp temperature difference, called a thermocline. Model projections for future precipitation are less certain than those for temperatures. As Michigan basks in summer heat this month, the Great Lakes also are warming up faster than usual, researchers say. Great Lakes water temperature in February, Great Lakes water temperature in September, Great Lakes water temperature in November, Great Lakes water temperature in December, Water temperature in Southern Ocean in June. Winter Click on a station marker for the near real-time and monthly mean temperature of the station. If a ship is currently limited by water depth, any lowering of lake levels will result in a reduction in the amount of cargo it can transport to Great Lakes ports. The preceding text is excerpted and abridged from the reports Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II, Chapter 21: Midwest and Synthesis of the Third National Climate Assessment for the Great Lakes Region. Winds get stronger during fall and help to mix the whole water column, from top to bottom. Water Temperature Map of the Great Lakes (Table-based Web page) By the end of the century, projections indicate warming from approximately 5.5–6.5°F (lower emissions scenario) to 7.5–9.5°F (higher emissions scenario). Experts say the spikes aren’t unusual as the region ushers in its warmest weather of the year. Share your Great Lakes journey with us using #swimdrinkfish! Combined with land cover changes, increased precipitation has and likely will continue to lead to flooding, erosion, declining water quality, and negative impacts on transportation, agriculture, human health, and infrastructure. As the duration of the stratified period increases, the risk of impacts from low oxygen levels at depth and lack of nutrient at the surface increases, which can potentially lead to declines in species populations in both zones. Climate projections suggest that the overturn in spring, which triggers the start of the aquatic "growing season," will happen earlier and that the fall overturn will happen later. The Michigan Department of Transportation has noted that an increase in lake-effect snows means that existing models used for snow and ice removal procedures are no longer reliable. Adapted from the Fourth National Climate Assessment. This past week really hot temperatures have sent the Great Lakes water temperatures up really high. The Great Lakes themselves influence regional climate conditions and impact climate variability and change. Lake Michigan Temperatures During Summer. Temperatures in the winter and at night are warming faster than in other seasons or in the daytime. Strong winds can cause large waves that can mix a lake’s water. The warmest average water temperature Great Lakes in June is 68.4°F/20.2°C (in Bay City), and the coldest sea surface temperature is 52.2°F/11.2°C (in Duluth). Click on a station marker for the near real-time and monthly mean temperature of the station. NOAA data shows the Great Lakes typically reach their peak surface temperatures in August or later. Individual studies for Lakes Michigan and Ontario, however, indicate that this increase has not been continuous—in both cases, upward trends were observed until the 1970s and early 1980s; since then, lake-effect snowfall has decreased in these regions.