Why It's a Big Deal That Half of the Great Lakes Are Still Covered in Ice & Recent April Snow

I decided to relay a very interesting article on the the effects on the cold and snowy winter of 2013-14 had (and should have) on the Great Lakes...much of it positive. What is probably the most notable is the possibility of dramatic jumps in water levels - which already are expected to rise around a foot. Note the following from the article;

"Though *Kompoltowicz says the usual March and April rise in water levels is occurring later than usual this year, already the lakes are seeing water levels that they haven't had for several years. This past March marked the first time since April of 1998 that Lake Superior had reached its long-term average. And over the next few months, melting snow will feed the lakes and colder water could lower the rates of summer and fall evaporation. The amount of rain could either add to or subtract from this total. The Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration generally forecast water levels six months out, and predicted levels for this September, Kompoltowicz says, range from 10 to 13 inches higher than lake levels were a year ago".

*Keith Kompoltowicz, the chief of watershed hydrology for the Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit District. The entire article can be found here.


And finally, on the subject of our recent April snow;

I think the following picture of the snow on 4/15 and the fatigued crocuses smothered in it - reflects most of the feelings of the inhabitants of Southeast Lower Michigan. Get Lost Winter & Bring On Spring!! LOL

Hopefully (and most likely) it was our last measurable snow on 4/15...Next Up; The Incredible Winter of 2013-14  

Making weather fun while we all learn,
Bill Deedler -SEMI_WeatherHistorian