by Guest » September 11, 2017, 4:42 pm
The Great Lakes have been affected by hurricanes, or more properly the remnants of hurricanes. By the time a hurricane reaches the Great Lakes, it's so far from its source of heat and moisture that it will be a tropical depression or remnant low. But that doesn't mean it can't have an impact - usually heavy rains (Hazel) and/or strong gusty winds (Sandy).
Hurricane Hazel was a prodigious rain producer by the time it moved along a cold front through the lower Great Lakes, by which time it was an extra-tropical cycle (meaning it has a warm and cold front and not a warm core, as in a tropical system.) Hazel, besides the heavy rainfall over the Toronto area produced winds of 40-70mph on Lake Ontario.
The remnant of Hurricane Agnes caused heavy rainfall over most of the Lower Lakes and Pennsylvania/New York, where Erie Lackawanna Railroad's mainlines in Eastern Pennsylvania were washed completely out in places.
Another hurricane that had an impact on the lower lakes was Hurricane Hugo in early September 1989. It caused the St. Lawrence Seaway to close for a couple of days due to high winds that knocked out power.
"Hurricane Huron" was a cut-off low in the upper atmosphere that developed a circulation over the Great Lakes, mainly due to the interaction of the warm lakes and unusually cold air in the upper atmosphere. It had an eye that was visible on satellite along with a warm core for a few hours, so that's why it's called "Hurricane Huron".
The Edmund Fitzgerald storm was an extra-tropical cyclone, and while it was intense and had strong violent winds, especially over Eastern Lake Superior and the Straits of Mackinaw area, it was never a true hurricane, except that it had "hurricane force" winds.
You can see a simulation of the Edmund Fitzgerald Storm at my website,
http://www.goldenhorseshoewx.ca/case_st ... ector.html .
The Great Lakes have been affected by hurricanes, or more properly the remnants of hurricanes. By the time a hurricane reaches the Great Lakes, it's so far from its source of heat and moisture that it will be a tropical depression or remnant low. But that doesn't mean it can't have an impact - usually heavy rains (Hazel) and/or strong gusty winds (Sandy).
Hurricane Hazel was a prodigious rain producer by the time it moved along a cold front through the lower Great Lakes, by which time it was an extra-tropical cycle (meaning it has a warm and cold front and not a warm core, as in a tropical system.) Hazel, besides the heavy rainfall over the Toronto area produced winds of 40-70mph on Lake Ontario.
The remnant of Hurricane Agnes caused heavy rainfall over most of the Lower Lakes and Pennsylvania/New York, where Erie Lackawanna Railroad's mainlines in Eastern Pennsylvania were washed completely out in places.
Another hurricane that had an impact on the lower lakes was Hurricane Hugo in early September 1989. It caused the St. Lawrence Seaway to close for a couple of days due to high winds that knocked out power.
"Hurricane Huron" was a cut-off low in the upper atmosphere that developed a circulation over the Great Lakes, mainly due to the interaction of the warm lakes and unusually cold air in the upper atmosphere. It had an eye that was visible on satellite along with a warm core for a few hours, so that's why it's called "Hurricane Huron".
The Edmund Fitzgerald storm was an extra-tropical cyclone, and while it was intense and had strong violent winds, especially over Eastern Lake Superior and the Straits of Mackinaw area, it was never a true hurricane, except that it had "hurricane force" winds.
You can see a simulation of the Edmund Fitzgerald Storm at my website, http://www.goldenhorseshoewx.ca/case_studies/fitz_storm/fitz_storm_param_selector.html .