Dear Tom,
I’ve noticed that this summer Lake Michigan is quite warm with the mid-lake buoy water temperature consistently running in the lower 70s. How does this compare with the warmest and coldest readings for this time of year?
Ron Schmidt, Arlington Heights
Dear Ron,
Our warm summer so far has Lake Michigan temperatures running several degrees above normal. The NOAA buoy located mid-lake about 50 miles east-southeast of Milwaukee has been logging the lake water temperature for nearly 25 years. Since 1981, the average temperature for early August is typically just below 70(degrees), so the current values are running two to three degrees above normal. The lake temperature has been as high as 79(degrees) on July 20, 2001, and 81(degrees) on Aug. 18, 1995. The lowest July lake temperature was a very chilly 47(degrees) on July 4, 1996, while August’s lowest reading was on Aug. 28, 1986.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
