Powerful winds over Lake Erie on Dec. 29 caused major shifts in water levels, with waves carrying water so high and far that they exposed some of the lake's floor beneath in a phenomenon known as a "seiche."
Imagine the water sloshing in a bathtub from one side to the other. A seiche creates a similar effect, but on a much larger scale. On Dec. 29, the winds were so strong, they pushed water from one side of the lake to the other. The resulting low waters on one side can reveal fascinating sights not normally seen on the lake's floor, but can also cause hazards for boats.
Wind gusts over 60 mph were seen over the lake on Dec. 29, the National Weather Service office in Cleveland, Ohio, said. Wave heights got up to 20 feet in the eastern basin of Lake Erie, and 14 to 18 feet in the central basin, the weather service there said.
Photos shared on social media by Chris Vickers, a meteorologist for station WTOL, showed water vanished from the western part of Lake Erie, and even a lost snowmobile found on the bottom of the lake near Luna Pier Beach, presumably lost through the ice.
On Dec. 30, gale warnings are still in effect along Lake Erie from Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio, to Ripley, New York, with winds up to about 40 mph and waves up to 12 feet. From Ripley to Buffalo, New York, winds of 46 mph and waves up to 15 mph are expected, according to the weather service.
