Mackinac Bridge with ice chunks.jpeg
A view of the Mackinac Bridge from Mackinaw City on January 31, 2016.
(Mira Delvadia)
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron did something in January 2016 that has only occurred 10 other times since 1919.
The water level went up on these Great Lakes from December 2015 to January 2016.
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Most of the time December to January water levels decrease on the Great Lakes. Usually there is more water leaving the Great Lakes than entering in that time period.
Here is a chart showing the December to January increase or decrease in water level on Lakes Michigan and Huron.
Lake Michigan/Lake Huron January Water Level Change
Notice there are only 11 years when the lake level has increased from December to January. It should be noted that Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are the same lake when it comes to lake levels. They are connected at the Straits of Mackinac.
The average move in lake levels in January over the past 98 years was a decline of 1.5".
This January, Lakes Michigan and Huron actually rose nearly an inch. There have only been 10 other Januarys when a lake rise has occurred.
This mid-winter rise in lake levels can help the seasonal lake level high in summer be higher than last year.
If the lakes get back onto a normal water level cycle, the lakes would then end up 2.5" higher than last year.
Of course everything going forward depends on amounts of precipitation. If we have normal precipitation over the Lake Michigan-Huron drainage basin, the lakes would be 2.5" higher than last year's high. Drier than normal weather would make the lakes not rise as much into summer, and very wet weather would send the lakes even higher.
But in an upward trend on Lake Michigan-Huron water levels, a January water rise is significant.
The rise was caused by record December rainfall over the Lake Michigan-Lake Huron drainage basin. In December 2015 almost six inches of rain fell on the drainage basin versus less than 1 inch normally.
The thought of some that warm water, no ice and high evaporation would lead to a water level decline is not happening.
In fact, it looks like Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are still in a lake level rise cycle.
If you have any questions, please ask below.
MLive Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa has been forecasting Michigan weather for more than 25 years. He's been chief meteorologist at three television news stations in Michigan, and he's an avid gardener and hunter. Email him at mtorregr@mlive.com and find him on Facebook at facebook.com/mark.torregrossa and Twitter @weathermanmark