Abstract
A climate-monitoring network was implemented in a large private preserve along the southern shore of Lake Superior. The network uses a dense sampling design to assess the spatial and temporal influence of a large, cold body of water on adjacent terrestrial surfaces. Based on a 3-year record, near-shore sites are 1–2°C cooler than sites 5 km inland in spring and summer, and 1°C warmer in winter. Near the shore, winds are from the NNW most of the year, and are much stronger in winter. Inland, southwesterly flow is typical and overall wind velocity is lower and more consistent. This decoupling is attributable to the influence of the Huron Mountains, a topographic barrier that restricts the lake effect to a narrow coastal zone. A 2-year record of hourly air temperature measurements from 26–30 sites across the study area demonstrates that the mean daily temperature can differ by as much as 11°C, but the average difference is 2.5–3.0°C.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Assel RA (2009) Contemporary Lake Superior ice cover climatology. In State of Lake Superior. In State of Lake Superior. M. Munawar and I.F. Munawar (eds.). Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society, Ecovision World Monograph Series, Canada, 51–66
Braun EL (1950) Deciduous forests of eastern North America. McGraw-Hill, New York
Changnon SA, Jones DMA (1972) Review of the influences of the Great Lakes on weather. Water Resour Res 8:360–371
Cole HS, Lyons WA (1972) The impact of the Great Lakes on the air quality of urban shoreline areas; Some practical applications with regard to air pollution control policy and environmental decision making. In: Proceedings, Fifteenth Conference on Great Lakes Research. Ann Arbor: International Association for Great Lakes Research, pp. 436–463
Committee on Developing Mesoscale Meteorological Observational Capabilities to Meet Multiple National Needs (2009) Observing Weather and Climate from the Ground Up: A Nationwide Network of Networks. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
Conrad V (1946) Usual formulas of continentality and their limits of validity. T Am Geophys Un 27:603–604
Eichenlaub VL (1970) Lake effect snowfall to the lee of the Great Lakes: its role in Michigan. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 51:403–412
Eshleman CH (1921) Do the Great Lakes diminish rainfall in the crop growing season? Mon Weather Rev 49:500–503
Fenneman NM (1938) Physiography of the eastern United States. McGraw-Hill, New York
Flaspohler DJ, Meine C (2006) Planning for wilderness: Aldo Leopold’s Report on Huron Mountain Club. J Forest Jan/Feb:32–42
Hinkel KM, Nelson FE (2007) Anthropogenic heat island at Barrow, Alaska during winter: 2001–2005. J Geophys Res-Atmos 112(D6):D06118. doi:10.1029/2006JD007837
Hinkel KM, Klene AE, Nelson FE (2003) The summer climate of an arctic coastal village: preliminary observations from the Barrow Urban Heat-Island study. Polar Geogr 27:194–218
Kopec RJ (1965) Continentality around the Great Lakes. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 46:54–57
Kopec RJ (1967) Effects of the Great Lakes’ thermal influence on freeze-thaw dates in spring and fall as determined by Hopkins’ bioclimatic law. Agr Meteorol 4:241–253
Laundre J (1974) An ecological survey of the mammals of the Huron Mountain area. Occasional Papers of the Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation, 2, p 69.
Leighly JB (1941) Effects of the Great Lakes on the annual march of temperature in their vicinity. Paper Mich Acad Sci Arts Lett 27:377–414
Oliver JE (1996) Maritime climate. In: Schneider SH (ed) Encyclopedia of climate and weather. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 491–496
Petterssen S, Calabrese PA (1959) On some weather influences due to warming of the air by the Great Lakes in winter. J Meteorol 16:646–652
Schaetzl RJ, Isard SA (2001) The Great Lakes region. In: Orme AR (ed) The physical geography of North America. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 307–334
Schouten K (2009) Well grounded: science and history at the Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation. History Works, Inc., Chicago
Simpson TB, Stuart PE, Barnes BV (1990) Landscape ecosystems and cover types of the Reserve area and adjacent lands of the Huron Mountain Club. Occasional Papers of the Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation, 4, p 128.
Verber JL (1955) The climates of South Bass Island, western Lake Erie. Ecology 36:388–400
Wells JR, Thompson PW (1976) Vegetation and flora of the Huron Mountains. Occasional Papers of the Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation, 3, p 59.
Westover AJ (1971) The use of a hemlock-hardwood winter yard by white-tailed deer in northern Michigan. Occasional Papers of the Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation, 1, p 59.
Whitbeck RH (1920) The influence of Lake Michigan upon its opposite shores, with comments on the declining use of the lake as a waterway. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 10:41–55
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the Huron Mountain Club for the opportunity to work within its boundaries. The Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation provided generous logistical support at the Ives Lake Field Station. HMWF Director Kerry Woods has been a source of consistent support and sound advice. Wayne Thorpe, Manager of the Ives Lake station, maintains the facility in a manner that maximizes its effectiveness, and provides a rich source of local history and lore. Instrumentation was provided through equipment-matching programs at the Universities of Cincinnati and Delaware. The paper greatly benefited from helpful comments by an anonymous reviewer.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hinkel, K.M., Nelson, F.E. Spatial and temporal aspects of the lake effect on the southern shore of Lake Superior. Theor Appl Climatol 109, 415–428 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-012-0585-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-012-0585-2