Over the last two days, there have been multiple reports of waterspouts and funnels over Lake Erie. Here's one from Thursday, as seen at Cedar Point!
Our own Chief Meteorologist, Mark Johnson, captured this photo of another funnel around 10:45 a.m. on Friday.
WATERSPOUT off of Mentor Lagoons, Lake Co, Ohio 7/26/24 @WEWS @NWSCLE @ICWR 10:45am pic.twitter.com/srOmRpXH8d
— The REAL Mark Johnson (@MarkJWeather) July 26, 2024
So why have there been so many this week? Well, waterspouts are most frequent from the end of July through September! This is because the water is at its warmest levels of the year. Anytime there is colder air over the warmer lake, there is a potential for waterspouts. For example, the water temperature near Cleveland is about 76 degrees, so when there is a relatively cool airmass over the lake, it does not take much for cold air funnels and waterspouts to form.
On Thursday, most of the very impressive-looking waterspouts were developing thanks to a cold front that moved through the area. On Friday, it was due to a few clouds. That's right! All it took was a small line of clouds to develop near Mentor, thanks to winds and low-level convergence (more wind entering an area than leaving it) near our shore of the lake to form another funnel.
Meteorologist Trent Magill explains what happened in the video below.
A little extra spin on the lake this morning. #Waterspouts #News5 pic.twitter.com/sQw1CUvkib
— News 5 Cleveland (@WEWS) July 25, 2024
Most of the time, waterspouts are not dangerous, but should still be respected especially by beachgoers or boaters. There are instances when the spout continues onto land and can cause damage. If a waterspout moves onshore, the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, as some of them can cause significant damage and injuries to people. Typically, fair weather waterspouts dissipate rapidly when they make landfall and rarely continue far inland.
Fair-weather waterspouts are typically less dangerous and are much more common than tornadic. However, if you are a boater or a person living along the coast of the Great Lakes, you should be aware of their destructive potential and take waterspouts seriously. They've been known to overturn boats, damage large ships, and put lives in jeopardy. When warnings are issued for waterspouts, be prepared to quickly seek safe harbor or to find shelter out of the path of the waterspout.
What is a waterspout?
A waterspout is a funnel that contains an intense vortex, sometimes destructive, of a small horizontal extent and which occurs over a body of water.
RELATED: Waterspouts, are they dangerous or not?
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