Mike Kovalchick
EF3
Short Version: Waterspout bust chase.
Long Version:
Woke up at 5 AM to the crash of several positive CG strokes! An unseasonably strong cold front was coming through. Behind it was 5 C air at 850mb..near record cold for the month of August in Michigan. A closed 500 mb low with temps of -22 C and a 20 C bath water temp of Lake Michigan/Huron would seem to make a ideal situation for waterspouts. I have never tried to chase waterspouts but this seemed like a good time to start.
My original chase target was the nearshore area of NW Lake Michigan. However, the Lake MI response was very muted due to drier than expected air mass and a more nothernly flow/fetch off that lake. The path of the upper level low was headed straight for Northern Lake Huron..so decided to try there instead.
After the convection with the front had departed...some strong storms developed near Sault Ste. Marie and headed into Northern Lake Huron. NWS APX suggested that these intense storms may have water spouts.
Unfortunately, the storms were too far away to catch from my start location near Gaylord. Looking at the Montreal River radar site..it showed additional convection rotating Southward behind this first severe cluster that was headed towards the Presque Isle light house which is North of Alpena. These were catchable so went after those storms.
See attached pics. There was some fairly intense cloud lines/developing updrafts...and even what I suspect were graupel shafts but no waterspouts. The winds were unexpectedly strong near gale force when the storms came ashore which suddenly turned the whole lake into nothing but white caps and the fool hardy out in the small sailboats seasick! (High winds are not good for waterspout development.) There was little or no land breeze that day as the water temps were nearly the same as the land temps..which didn't help matters.
All in all a fun 200 mile chase..due to the rather stunning azure blue skies, northern hardwoods and sparking lakes setting. Probably will try this again as conditions warrant going towards Fall. (FYI...the maples have already started to change to bright orange in the higher elevations.)
Long Version:
Woke up at 5 AM to the crash of several positive CG strokes! An unseasonably strong cold front was coming through. Behind it was 5 C air at 850mb..near record cold for the month of August in Michigan. A closed 500 mb low with temps of -22 C and a 20 C bath water temp of Lake Michigan/Huron would seem to make a ideal situation for waterspouts. I have never tried to chase waterspouts but this seemed like a good time to start.
My original chase target was the nearshore area of NW Lake Michigan. However, the Lake MI response was very muted due to drier than expected air mass and a more nothernly flow/fetch off that lake. The path of the upper level low was headed straight for Northern Lake Huron..so decided to try there instead.
After the convection with the front had departed...some strong storms developed near Sault Ste. Marie and headed into Northern Lake Huron. NWS APX suggested that these intense storms may have water spouts.
Unfortunately, the storms were too far away to catch from my start location near Gaylord. Looking at the Montreal River radar site..it showed additional convection rotating Southward behind this first severe cluster that was headed towards the Presque Isle light house which is North of Alpena. These were catchable so went after those storms.
See attached pics. There was some fairly intense cloud lines/developing updrafts...and even what I suspect were graupel shafts but no waterspouts. The winds were unexpectedly strong near gale force when the storms came ashore which suddenly turned the whole lake into nothing but white caps and the fool hardy out in the small sailboats seasick! (High winds are not good for waterspout development.) There was little or no land breeze that day as the water temps were nearly the same as the land temps..which didn't help matters.
All in all a fun 200 mile chase..due to the rather stunning azure blue skies, northern hardwoods and sparking lakes setting. Probably will try this again as conditions warrant going towards Fall. (FYI...the maples have already started to change to bright orange in the higher elevations.)
