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by Vince_Condella from FOX 6 Milwaukee

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Another Day, Another Myth
Apr 22, 2008 | 8:17 PM
Category: Weather
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In keeping with the theme of severe weather myths, here is one you have probably heard if you live in the western Great Lakes: you are safe from tornadoes if you live near Lake Michigan because the lake will protect you.  My parents used to tell me this as a little boy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago.  And they had good reason to say this to me: I was scared to death anytime a semi-dark cloud passed overhead.  I would run and hide under the bed when a few raindrops hit the house!

 

My parents were just trying to reassure me of my safety, but meteorologically speaking they were incorrect.  Lake Michigan is a large and chilly body of water.  Somehow that cold pool of air associated with the lake will scare away tornadoes.  In reality, its not true.  Thunderstorms approach us from the west and the lake is to our east.

 

We only need to go back to March 8, 2000, when a tornado struck St. Francis and Cudahy, touching down at the northeast corner of Mitchell Int'l. Airport at 6:14pm.  One of the deadliest tornadoes on record for Wisconsin occured on  May 18, 1883 when a twister struck the north side of Racine.  Twenty-five people where killed and 100 injured.  (Obviously the weather warning process wasn't in place in the late 1880s like it is today, but Lake Michigan did nothing to protect those people.)

 

I have seen cases where thunderstorms got weaker as they approached Lake Michigan.  I'm supposing this is due to a cool inflow of air from in front of the storm helping to weaken it a bit.  But I have also seen cases where an incoming thunderstorm interacts with a cool east wind that is part of a lake breeze.  The low-level wind shear created by the thunderstorm colliding with the lake breeze has caused small twisters to spin-up from the ground and cause damage.  These spin-up twisters are typically rather weak but they still have the potential to cause damage and injury.

 

With a strong supercell rotating thunderstorm, the most powerful beast in the thunderstorm arsenal, even Lake Michigan's flow of cool air will not prevent it from producing a tornado.  The lake provides us with many things, but protection from tornadoes is not one of them.

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Member Comments Total Comments: 8
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aaro-nf read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 5:01 PM

hey vince:::
i heard you talking about those myths on the news last night. i saw the # of tornadoes that struck fond du lac county from '82-'08. i know since we are not even near lake michigan, we get tornadoes crossing lake winnebego. the last time we had a tornado come through here was back in '96 that hit oakfield during the evening. as always, great job on the posting of this blog.
also, i wanted to tell you, is that i did e-mail the web team at WFRV that night i sent you a comment about that blog i posted. i did take your advice about them taking me off the list for severe weather alerts. the past couple of days, i checked my e-mail, and i was very pleased to see that i did not get a single alert from them. if there is anyone who lives in fond du lac and sheboygan counties, they should not go with WFRV. they will bombard your inbox every single day with weather alerts. i am just so glad i took care of that. thanks for the advice. i truly appreciate it very much.
----aaro-nf
Vince_Condella read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 5:09 PM

Glad I could help, aaro - thanks!
F0x6Fan read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 6:59 PM

is a tornado's wind speed the most destructive force on earth...[more-so than a full blown hurricane's wind gales] ??

or is it the sheer longevity of a hurricane's staying power which can be concentrated for ours in a particular area such as katrina in new orleans

i've often heard the phrase of an F5 tornado being referred to as the finger of "GOD"

finally, what are the tale-tale signs of an imminent tornado approaching or the signs a tornado will likely formate --thanks vince
prettyinpinks read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 8:52 PM

Vince I have a question--
since storms move west-east, and the lake is on our east, what about the people living right on the other side of the lake in Michigan? Does this myth hold true for them, since the weather system would have to pass over the lake before reaching them?
Vince_Condella read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 9:03 PM

Good question, pinks. If the upper air winds and low-level jet stream is strong enough, the thunderstorms will sustain themselves even over the cooler waters of Lake Michigan. So places like Muskegon and Grand Rapids can get some nasty storms.

If a thunderstorm is rather weak, and the dynamics of the atmosphere is not all that strong, the cooler air over the lake will be enough to weaken the storm.
ceplina read my blog view my photos
Apr 24, 2008 | 11:59 PM

Hello Vince,just a comment on these myth's.i thought the "myth" was that were not safe by the lake but safer?that when tornado's hit a large open area,they lose power or intensity and your numbers you show appear to make this true.10-20 miles from the lake the number of tornado's increased.and the "myth"on cracking your windows help's also. here is my comparison to the logic,if you take a vacume cleaner to a wiffle ball you may not pick it up,but if you take the vac to a solid ball you will,i would think if windows are open you might not suck the roof off.as long as dis placement is even.
Vince_Condella read my blog view my photos
Apr 27, 2008 | 1:04 PM

As I mentioned on the air when I showed the map of tornadoes by county, and as I wrote in the blog, the cool air over the lake may get ingested by incoming thunderstorms and weaken some of these storms. However, as a safety issue, we cannot rely on the lake to weaken every incoming storm. So even those who live near the lake need to take tornado warnings seriously.

Regarding tornado damage to a house, engineering studies have shown that most damage to a house hit by a tornado was the walls being blown in by the strong winds of the tornado. Rarely if ever does a house "explode" due to the extreme pressure differential between inside the house and the tornado.
ceplina read my blog view my photos
May 1, 2008 | 11:29 AM

Hey Vince,Don't take it as an attack,i was only looking at different angle's that i was told over my 43 year's and asking you if those reason's had affect,i have though seen many new's storie's stating,wall's standing and roof's torn off.here is another thought,put up a wall with hole's in it and one without.and i also stated in my blog that,i agreed that living near the lake is no safety factor,just that,when it come's to engineering factor's,we should use adequate number's.on the other hand would a house with all window's closed make more of a solid mass and protect us more?all sound logical,but engineering studie's, is the way i'd go.your a great weather reporter.i was only making small talk,i love to research thing's that interest me.ok,buddy.
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Vince_Condella

FOX 6 Chief Meteorologist Husband, Dog Owner, Bicyclist, Motorcyclist, Guitar Player, Yoga Devotee, student of Buddhism

Member Since: 8/24/2006


 

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