Water levels in Great Lakes could rise
Trudging through snow and frigid winds might make for grueling travel between classes, but that same freeze might benefit the Great Lakes. Scientists predict the recent Arctic blasts will increase water levels and decrease temperatures in the Great Lakes, temporarily reversing a 15-year slump. Anne Clites, a physical scientist at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, predicts the water levels of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron will increase by 10–12 inches this upcoming summer from this past summer. When cold, dry air sweeps across the lakes, it increases the evaporation rate, which results in more ice cover and lake-effect snow, said John Lenters, the senior scientist at the environmental consulting firm LimnoTech. Although this temporarily decreases water levels, ice lingers into late winter and early spring, capping further evaporation. Lenters predicts water-level gains this year because of lingering ice will result in cooler summer waters, leading to a later evaporation period next fall.
