CLEVELAND – “Here a waterspout. There a waterspout. Everywhere a waterspout,” is likely a phrase people were thinking along Lake Erie on Saturday as National Weather Service offices received dozens of reports of funnels and twisters across two states.
A significant fall frontal boundary that pushed through the Great Lakes helped to cool the air and trigger the phenomenon, which did not yield any damage but created sights of vortexes.
Most of the reports came from northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, where water temperatures on Lake Erie were in the 60s to nearly 70 degrees.
Jeff Barnes, an International Centre for Waterspout Research observer, said he spotted at least 62 funnels and waterspouts from his perch in Fairport Harbor, Ohio.
The ICWR said Saturday, according to its historical data, was a record day with more than 180 reports along the lake.
Before the event, National Weather Service forecasters believed it would be a favorable day for fair-weather twisters, but no one foresaw the number of cyclones that filled the air.
Typical waterspout season runs from late summer through early fall as the first significant waves of cool air push in over the lakes, creating a stark contrast to the warm surface temperatures of the water.
The clash between temperature zones helps create instability and the chance for funnels and even rain showers to form.
Marine advisories were issued by local NWS offices warning boaters of the potential for waterspouts and rough conditions on the lake.
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As air temperatures rebound and water temperatures start to cool, there’ll be less of a differential between the two zones, reducing instability and the chances of seeing funnels over the next few days.
None of the waterspouts appeared to have reached the shore, where the features would have been classified as a tornado.