Forecasts

Weekly Water Levels Forecast
Update for Friday August 27, 2010 (includes data summary)

Weather conditions: Temperatures within the Great Lakes basin were generally above average last Friday. Some parts of Michigan and northeastern Ohio experienced 90-degree temperatures. In addition, a few remarkable rain events took place in the region last weekend. Nearly 3 inches of rain fell in Green Bay on Friday, and over 4 inches of rain fell in Syracuse on Sunday. The story across southern Michigan is much different as only a half an inch of rain has fallen this month. Temperatures within the basin have been moderate during the current workweek, and are expected to be near average on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, however, temperatures will be around 10 degrees above average in much of the central and western portions of the basin. These above average temperatures will continue into the next workweek. There is little chance of rain within the Great Lakes basin this weekend and into next week.

Water Level Conditions: Each of the Great Lakes continue to be below what they were a year ago. Currently, the lakes range from 5 to 8 inches below last year's levels. Over the next 30 days, Lake Superior is expected to rise 1 inch, while Lake Michigan-Huron is forecasted to decline 2 inches. It is predicted that Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario will decline 6, 4, and 6 inches, respectively, during the next month. See the Daily Levels web page for more water level information.

Forecasted outflows / channel conditions: The outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary's River, and from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River, are predicted to be below average in August, while Lake St. Clair's outflow into the Detroit River is expected to be near average during the month. The Niagara River's flow from Lake Erie is predicted to be slightly below average, and the flow in the St. Lawrence River is forecasted to be below average throughout August.

Alerts: Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels. Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Other Forecasting
Also see: Huron-to-Erie Corridor Flows modeling product (requires Google Earth plug-in)