Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

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Jon Paul
Posts: 888
Joined: December 14, 2017, 8:37 pm

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Jon Paul »

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I would definitely add the Blizzard of January 1978 to the list. The storm resulted in Storm Warings on the 4 upper lakes and was accompanied by record snow fall.
I have attached the weather data recorded by the mates.
We fought our way up Lake Michigan to Escanaba from S. Chicago during the height of the storm and when the storm cleared we were anchored off the CNW dock with over 2 ft of snow on deck. The heavy snow during the worst of the storm with sustained winds of over 60kn and gusts at 80kns from 10:00 to 17:00 precluded getting accurate wave heights but were definitely over 20' + and many were 25' plus.
Guest

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Guest »

This is a simulation of the Edmund Fitzgerald storm over eastern Lake Superior from 7:00am November 10 to the morning hours of November 11, 1975.

https://www.goldenhorseshoewx.ca/case_s ... xpress.mp4

I ran the simulation at 1.33km horizontal resolution, with output every ten minutes.

If you observe the simulation carefully you will see very strong wind gusts moving into the area between Michipicoten Island and Caribou Island from 19:30Z to 20:30Z (or 1:00pm EST to 3:30pm EST). That is around the time the Edmund Fitzgerald was in the area.

The wind speeds you see are what could be mixed down to the lake surface - in meteorology this is called momentum transfer. It was not understood at the time the Fitzgerald was lost, but with lots of research into mid-latitude cyclones starting in the late 1970s, increased satellite data, weather buoys on both the lakes and oceans along with increased computer power it allowed scientists to gain an understanding of a marine environment. That when you have warm water temperatures and a cold air mass moving over that water, you can get an unstable environment where winds in the upper atmosphere can be mixed down to the lake surface, generating higher wind speeds and larger waves than would be expected.
Guest

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Guest »

Denny wrote: November 26, 2022, 1:15 am It was so bad the Fitz storm at least, that the Mackinaw Bridge closed down due to the high winds and even the Soo Locks themselves closed down due to the winds. If I’m correct I think I’ve heard the Philip R. Clarke was the last through the Soo before they closed it down? Hope this helps you out somewhat.

The Philip R. Clarke was downbound at the Brush at 3:53pm.

At 5:00pm, the Algosoo, with an iron ore cargo from Marquette, tried to make the turn into Algoma Steel, but due to the winds couldn't do so. As a result she went to Waiska Bay to anchor, which she did at 6:02pm.
The lockmaster closed the locks at 6:00pm on November 10th, and at 6:25pm, the St. Marys river was closed until 3:39am, when they reopened after repairs..
Jared
Posts: 798
Joined: December 6, 2014, 4:51 pm

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Jared »

Denny wrote: November 26, 2022, 1:14 pm Sorry to go off subject but, don’t forget about the 1913 storm as well. This storm was also unique in its own way and lasting longer than any storm and claiming more ships and lives than any other in history? While I’m not up on the details and the mb along with the wind and waves, by the time the storm reached Lake Huron around November 9, 1913 was when I think it was at its worse? Between 10-12 ships in that range alone were lost just on Lake Huron alone. While I agree that the all three main storms are unique in their own way and each has its own stories to share and tell, the 1913 one is often overlooked IMO anyway and seldom mentioned as is the Armistice Day 1940 storm on Lake Michigan along with the Rouse Simmons Christmas Tree Ship sinking as well. These are just my thoughts only here.
The Black Friday Storm that hit Lake Erie in 1916 was one heck of a monster too. The big storm that is still overlooked is the 1886 storm that took down 9 ships with all hands.
Denny

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Denny »

Sorry to go off subject but, don’t forget about the 1913 storm as well. This storm was also unique in its own way and lasting longer than any storm and claiming more ships and lives than any other in history? While I’m not up on the details and the mb along with the wind and waves, by the time the storm reached Lake Huron around November 9, 1913 was when I think it was at its worse? Between 10-12 ships in that range alone were lost just on Lake Huron alone. While I agree that the all three main storms are unique in their own way and each has its own stories to share and tell, the 1913 one is often overlooked IMO anyway and seldom mentioned as is the Armistice Day 1940 storm on Lake Michigan along with the Rouse Simmons Christmas Tree Ship sinking as well. These are just my thoughts only here.
Scott

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Scott »

I agree that the Fitgerald storm was most dangerous, but there was but one casualty of this storm. The Anderson, besides having almost the same track as the Fitz, survived. What happened to stack the deck against the Fitzgerald? Why didn't the Anderson experience fence rail, vent and radar issues? Something happened that night. I believe that the timing of the Fitz first call of danger to the Anderson occurred soon after the Fitzgerald cleared six fathom shoal area. Coincidence? Perhaps.
Denny

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Denny »

Not sure on the wave heights however, as far as the winds? I would say the Fitzgerald had the strongest winds. In a Discovery Channel video made many years ago, Bernie Cooper did an interview and he said “He heard they once had 92 mph winds at the Soo I guess?” So I say the Fitz storm had some of the strongest winds and gusts at least. It was so bad the Fitz storm at least, that the Mackinaw Bridge closed down due to the high winds and even the Soo Locks themselves closed down due to the winds. If I’m correct I think I’ve heard the Philip R. Clarke was the last through the Soo before they closed it down? Hope this helps you out somewhat.
Guest

Re: Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Guest »

Each of these storms are unique in their own way - the date they occurred, their location, intensity, etc.

The Fitzgerald Storm deepened to 972mb when north of Lake Superior, and generated very strong wind gusts over Lake Superior from the Keweenaw Peninsula to just north of the Huron Mountain then propagating those winds easterly during the early afternoon and evening of November 10th.
Highest winds were officially reported to the National Weather Service by the John Dykstra. While out on Lake Huron she reported at 10AM, winds 64 knots, gusting to 70 knots and waves 15 feet. The J. Burton Ayers while near Saginaw Bay reported winds of 46 knots and 20 foot waves. Now there were higher wind and wave reports from vessels, but they were never submitted to the national Weather Service.

The Carl D. Bradley storm tracked west of the Great Lakes and had a low pressure of 976mb at 1:00AM on November 18, deepening to 972mb on November 19th when located near James Bay.

The Daniel J. Morrell storm at 988mb was the weakest of the three and on November 29, 1966 at 1:00AM, it was located north of Toronto.

A lot of data that a meteorologist would want is missing, though there are re-analysis datasets available to analyze a weather event such as these three storms. But direct surface observations, especially out on the lakes is sparse the farther back in time you go.

Out of these three storms, the Edmund Fitzgerald Storm is the one I've given the most analysis to. Mainly because of the paucity of re-analysis weather datasets and computational power. But I certainly have to do case studies of the Carl D. Bradley and Daniel J. Morrell storms, if only to put them into context with each other..

https://www.goldenhorseshoewx.ca/case_s ... ector.html
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Guest

Fitzgerald Bradley Morrell Storms

Unread post by Guest »

Which storm was the worst with the highest waves and strongest winds the Fitzgerald Bradley or Morrell Storms?

Thank you in advance.
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