Great Lakes Phenomenon

Great lakes image from MODIS

Jeff Braun

What is going on over the eastern Great Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario on December 13, 2005?

See loop:

( http://www.cira.colostate.edu/cira/RAMM//picoday/051214/visloop.html ) and data below for additional help.   Clicking on each image below will bring it up the full sized.

Sounding 12/13/05

1200z Surface Analysis

Great Lake surface environment analysis 12/13/05

Answer:  These are simultaneous mesoscale vortices over the Great Lakes during the winter of (December 14) 2005.  These phenomena are typically observed when arctic air is warmed from below by the relatively warm water of these huge lakes during late fall/early winter.  For more on these regional events, please see:  http://www.cira.colostate.edu/cira/RAMM//picoday/051214/051214.html.