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Great Lakes ice coverage to be lowest on record
Typically, more than half of the Great Lakes freeze each winter. That's not going to happen this year as researchers predict a record-breaking low in terms of ice on the lakes.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - It was only two years ago that lake levels in the Great Lakes had risen to record-highs and the latest sign of the region's increasingly unpredictable weather managed to set more records.
But in 2022, extreme lake levels couldn't be further from the case.
Water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron have plummeted over the past two years and are now on track to be slightly above average this summer, according to a forecast from the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
That's good news for boaters who want to use their docks. It's also good news for homeowners concerned about erosion and residential flooding.
In April 2020, water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron rose three feet above the average and set a record. It continued setting new highs throughout the summer until September. But in April 2022, the levels were only eight inches above the average.
In other words, lake levels have fallen about 28 inches over two years.
Lake Superior has also measured a decline in water levels, although not to the extent of the lakes further south. Currently, the levels are about four inches below average.
Similar trends are being reported in Lakes St. Clair and Erie. Lake Ontario will likely see a rise in water levels this year.
Precipitation has one of the greatest impacts on lake levels in the Midwest. Seasonal rainfall plays a role in how high or low water levels rise as rivers drain into the Great Lakes basin. Over the past 70 years, the region has seen a 14% increasing precipitation, according to Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments.
In 2019 and 2020, rainfall drove many of the record-breaking reports the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecasted.
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But in 2021, rainfall was a bit more variable. While the entire basin reported average or above average rainfall in the summer, parts of Lake Superior experienced drought conditions. By the fall, rainfall in Lakes Michigan and Huron also fell below the average.
Another driver of the lake levels is the amount of evaporation over the winter. Diminished ice coverage in the winter along with high surface temperatures contributed to more water loss through evaporation.
The Great Lakes Quarterly Impacts and Outlook report released in December predicted that drier conditions would contribute to lower lake levels, but because of how high they were two years ago, Lakes Michigan and Huron are forecasted to still be above average.