'Dangerous' tornadolike waterspouts on Lake Michigan near Milwaukee, National Weather Service warns
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you if you see what looks like a tornado barreling across Lake Michigan.
It's called a waterspout — and the National Weather Service and the International Centre for Waterspout Research say they're in the forecast off our shore Wednesday and likely to persist till the end of the day.
The presence of waterspouts — a vortex of water created by changes in wind temperatures — has the NWS warning boaters and other lakegoers to steer clear of them, since they can often be dangerous.
Here's what to know about them:
Be on the lookout for Waterspouts on Lake Michigan today. Waterspouts will be possible with the scattered showers and storms over the Lake. #wiwx #LakeMichigan pic.twitter.com/wfe9XMaWCR
— NWS Milwaukee (@NWSMilwaukee) September 13, 2023
Waterspout Outbreak Over Lake Michigan!
As of 10:00 am CDT we have confirmed 6 waterspouts. Waterspouts will continue until late in the afternoon. See https://t.co/WPioHG02Jy for updated sighting locations and forecast maps. #wiwx #miwx pic.twitter.com/7qBPue6Fxm— ICWR (@ICWR) September 13, 2023
What are waterspouts?
According to Taylor Patterson, a National Weather Service meteorologist, waterspouts are created when fast-moving pressure systems push air across bodies of water.
For Lake Michigan, in particular, waterspouts usually form when cooler air runs across its surface and upward.
“We are just in the perfect spot to be seeing waterspouts today because the offshore low-pressure system is causing air to move together and upward, or what is called low-level convergence,” Patterson said.
How dangerous are waterspouts?
Waterspouts can be unpredictable and dangerous and the NWS suggests that if you see one, you should immediately head at a 90-degree angle away from the event.
“Waterspouts are very similar in structure to what you would think of as a tornado, but just over the water,” Patterson said. “For that reason, they can be pretty dangerous, especially for boaters.”
Depending on the size and speed of a waterspout, it isn’t a stretch to suggest that they could do significant damage to boats and potentially pose a threat to someone’s life.
How common are waterspouts?
In Wisconsin, waterspouts are usually very rare — most likely to happen in August, September and October when winds are cooling at a high rate.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waterspouts on Lake Michigan near Milwaukee: National Weather Service
