Great Lakes temperatures: Is Lake Michigan warm enough to swim in?
Temperatures across Michigan and Wisconsin hit the 80s on Wednesday, June 11, and are expected to be in the 70s through the weekend, warm enough to tempt people to try swimming in the Great Lakes.
The water may even feel warm enough to hop in this weekend in some locations.
Lake Erie and Lake Huron have posted readings at or near 70 degrees Fahrenheit, although lake temperatures typically don't peak until late summer/early fall, according to GLISA. In Lake Superior, though, temperatures are still in the 30s in places.
Swimming is most comfortable in lake waters at about 70 degrees, according to Swimoutlet.com.
Here's how warm — or cold — the Great Lakes are:
Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes, reached 70.2 degrees near Rossford, Ohio, as of June 13.
Lake Erie reaches an average of 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Erie:
Monroe, Michigan: 66.7
Gibralter, Michigan: 63.7
Cleveland, Ohio: 63.6
Grosse Ile, Michigan: 63.1
The warmest water temperature in Lake Huron June 13 was 68 degrees in Saginaw Bay.
Lake Huron reaches an average of 69.1 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Huron:
Saginaw Bay, Michigan: 68
Au Gres, Michigan: 64
Port Crescent, Michigan: 58.3
Alpena, Michigan: 57.7
Tawas City, Michigan: 57.2
Port Huron, Michigan: 56.7
Drummond Island, Michigan: 56.7
Mackinac Island, Michigan: 56.1
Port Sanilac, Michigan: 55.9
Safety first: Thinking of swimming alone? (Don't.) Here's how to stay safe at the beach this summer
Coming soon: Edmund Fitzgerald's legacy returns to Port Huron 50 years after the wreck
The warmest water temperature in Lake Ontario on June 13 was 62.1 degrees near Niagara Falls, Canada.
Lake Ontario reaches an average of 72.9 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Ontario:
Niagara Falls: 62.1
Kingston: 59
Hamilton: 54.9
Rochester, New York: 53.8
Lake Michigan's average temperature was 57.2 degrees, according to Seatemperature.com as of June 13.
Lake Michigan reaches an average of 68 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Recorded temperatures in Lake Michigan:
St. Joseph, Michigan: 62.6
Benton Harbor, Michigan: 61.5
Escanaba, Michigan: 60.6
Saugatuck, Michigan: 60.3
Holland, Michigan: 59.4
Grand Haven, Michigan: 57.7
Mackinaw City, Michigan: 56.1
Hoffmaster State Park, Michigan: 55.9
Kenosha, Wisconsin: 55.2
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Traverse City, Michigan: 54.3
Pentwater, Michigan: 52.3
Ludington, Michigan: 51.6
Manistee, Michigan: 51.1
Green Bay, Wisconsin: 48.9
Manitowoc, Wisconsin: 48.8
Charlevoix, Michigan: 47.8
Top spots to visit: Most Treasured Views near Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Oshkosh & Sheboygan? Vote your favorite.
More places to go: Here are 15 summer bucket list ideas of things to do in Manitowoc and Two Rivers
The coldest lake this week is Lake Superior with its warmest water temperature of 59.5 degrees at Ashland on June 13.
Lake Superior reaches an average of 64.6 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Superior:
Paradise, Michigan: 50.2
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan: 48.2
Ontonagon, Michigan: 46.6
Marquette, Michigan: 44.8
Ashland, Wisconsin: 43.8
Grand Marais, Michigan: 40.3
Copper Harbor, Michigan: 39.4
Temperatures climb in the spring and summer months, reaching peak temperatures in the late summer and early fall, according to GLISA, a collaborative between Michigan State University, University of Michigan and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The National Weather Service says your body can enter a cold shock if exposed to water between 50 and 60 degrees, spiking an elevation in heart rate, blood pressure and eventually panic, fear and stress.
Prolonged exposure could result in loss of muscle control in your arms, legs, hands and feet, triggering hypothermia among other things that can be fatal.
More: Here's our guide for cool places to swim in Manitowoc and Two Rivers this summer
The EGLE map lists information for beaches in Michigan, including water quality sampling results and beach advisories and closures.
The website also includes information on combined or sanitary sewer overflows, which lead to partially treated or untreated sewage being released into rivers and streams.
Swimmer's itch is a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites that infect some birds and mammals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The parasites are released from infected snails into fresh and salt water (such as lakes, ponds, and oceans). While the parasite's preferred host is the specific bird or mammal, if the parasite comes into contact with a swimmer, it burrows into the skin causing an allergic reaction and rash.
Swimmer's itch is found throughout the world and is more frequent during summer months.
Swimmer's itch is often incorrectly attributed to E. coli exposure, according to the Clean Lakes Alliance.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Great Lakes water temperatures for June 13. How warm are the lakes?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Fast-moving brush fire on Hawaii's Maui island evacuates about 50 people. No structures have burned
HONOLULU (AP) — A fast-moving Hawaii brush fire fueled by fierce winds forced the evacuation of about 50 Maui residents on the opposite side of the same island where a devastating blaze killed over 100 people two years ago. The fire started Sunday in a sparsely populated area with land set aside for Native Hawaiians. Fire size now estimated at 330 acres The Kahikinui was initially estimated at 500 acres (202 hectares), but aerial surveys overnight put the estimate at about 330 acres (134 hectares), Maui's fire department said. The fire is 80% contained. The remote, challenging terrain made it difficult to estimate the fire's size, the department said in a statement. A police drone showed hot spots, but none flared overnight. No injuries or structural damage was reported. Weather conditions were mostly sunny Monday with a high of 67 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius) and east winds of about 15 mph (24 kph), gusting up to about 25 mph (40 kph). Authorities conducted door-to-door evacuations and part of a highway remains closed. Flashbacks to an earlier fire Warren Aganos was on his family's Hawaiian Homelands lot preparing to go on a Father's Day hunt when a neighbor called him around 9 a.m. telling him a fire had broken out. 'I hung up and raced out, I didn't let her finish,' said Aganos, who has been slowly rebuilding the three structures his family lost in a 2016 brush fire that burned over 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) in the same area. 'I was thinking about the last one,' he said. 'It was super emotional.' Aganos said he rushed in his truck to make sure first responders knew where the community's water storage tanks were before navigating Kahikinui's dirt roads down to the highway where he could see smoke billowing over the hillside. The community lacks electrical and water infrastructure, and some of the roads are only navigable by four-wheel drive. What is the region like? Kahikinui is less populated and developed than Lahaina, which was the Hawaiian Kingdom's capital in the 1800s and is now a popular tourist destination. Kahikinui was used for cattle ranching for many years and is near a state forest reserve. The fire department sent engines, tankers and a helicopter to battle the blaze. Three bulldozers cut firebreaks in the lower part of the community, Desiree Graham, co-chair of Kahikinui's firewise committee, said. The area has 104 Hawaiian homeland lots of 10 to 20 acres (4 to 8 hectares) each. About 40 lots have homes, including 15 with full-time residents. Some lots have more than one home, Graham said. A state agency issues lot leases under a program Congress created in 1920 to help Native Hawaiians become economically self-sufficient. Those with at least 50% Hawaiian blood quantum can apply for a 99-year lease for $1 a year. Fire devastated Lahaina nearly two years ago Maui is still recovering from the massive inferno that enveloped Lahaina in August 2023. That fire was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. It destroyed thousands of properties and caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage. University of Hawaii researchers say unemployment and poverty rose after the blaze. The Kahikinui fire may seem small compared to continental U.S. fires, but it's significant for an island of 735 square miles (1,903 square kilometers). Other Western fires Crews also are battling wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, around the Great Basin, in California and the Rockies. National Weather Service forecasters and federal land managers have warned in recent weeks that fire danger is escalating in many places amid rising daytime temperatures and single-digit humidity levels. The risks won't start to wane — at least in the southwestern U.S. — until the monsoon starts to kick in, bringing much-needed rain. In southern New Mexico, a wildfire ballooned to nearly 30 square miles (77 square kilometers) over the weekend in the Gila National Forest. The flames forced the evacuations of homes that dot the mountains north of Silver City, blocked access to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and prompted air quality warnings as smoke drifted north. Campgrounds and access points to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail also were closed. In Oregon, several dozen homes in Wasco County were destroyed by a fire that started last Wednesday. Some evacuations remained, but fire managers said Monday that the threat to structures had diminished. So far this year, the nation has seen double the number of fires as last year but the acreage is less, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 2,700 wildland firefighters and support personnel were assigned to 15 large wildfires across the country. —- ___
USA Today
12 hours ago
- USA Today
Tropical depression could form in Pacific in next few days: See tracker, spaghetti models
Tropical depression could form in Pacific in next few days: See tracker, spaghetti models Show Caption Hide Caption How to prepare for a hurricane It's important to take these steps before hurricane season. Another tropical storm could soon form in the Pacific Ocean. The National Hurricane Center said early Monday morning a broad area of low pressure "continues to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms" over and offshore of Central America. Hurricane center forecasters said environmental conditions appear conducive for "gradual development" of this system, currently labeled as EP94, and that a tropical depression is likely to form "in the next day or two" as the system moves west-northwestward near the coasts of El Salvador, Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. The NHC said interests in these locations should monitor the progress of this system and that, regardless of development, areas of heavy rain are likely across portions of Central America and southeastern Mexico during the next few days. The hurricane center gives the system a 80% chance of formation through the next 48 hours and an 90% chance of formation through the next seven days. Pacific storm tracker This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. EP94 spaghetti models Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts. How do hurricanes form? Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Prepare now for hurricanes Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends. Prepare now for hurricanes: Here's what you should do to stay safe before a storm arrives Develop an evacuation plan : If you are at risk from hurricanes, you need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there. : If you are at risk from hurricanes, you need an evacuation plan. Now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there. Assemble disaster supplies : Whether you're evacuating or sheltering-in-place, you're going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for the potentially lengthy aftermath, NOAA said. : Whether you're evacuating or sheltering-in-place, you're going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for the potentially lengthy aftermath, NOAA said. Get an insurance checkup and document your possessions : Contact your insurance company or agent now and ask for an insurance check-up to make sure you have enough insurance to repair or even replace your home and/or belongings. Remember, home and renters insurance doesn't cover flooding, so you'll need a separate policy for it. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent, or the National Flood Insurance Program. Act now, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period. : Contact your insurance company or agent now and ask for an insurance check-up to make sure you have enough insurance to repair or even replace your home and/or belongings. Remember, home and renters insurance doesn't cover flooding, so you'll need a separate policy for it. Flood insurance is available through your company, agent, or the National Flood Insurance Program. Act now, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period. Create a family communication plan : NOAA said to take the time now to write down your hurricane plan, and share it with your family. Determine family meeting places, and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation. : NOAA said to take the time now to write down your hurricane plan, and share it with your family. Determine family meeting places, and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation. Strengthen your home: Now is the time to improve your home's ability to withstand hurricane impacts. Trim trees; install storm shutters, accordion shutters, and/or impact glass; seal outside wall openings. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Newsweek
Grand Canyon Hikers Told To Avoid All Physical Activity
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an extreme heat warning on Monday for parts of Arizona including the Grand Canyon, warning that prolonged outdoor exposure presents health risks due to "dangerously hot conditions." Why It Matters The NWS says that extreme heat warnings are "reserved for only the hottest days of the year," and are "issued when temperatures are expected to rise to dangerous levels." Officials cautioned that without proper cooling and hydration, individuals face a risk of heat-related illnesses, particularly with extended exposure outdoors. The entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park pictured in February. The entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park pictured in To Know The NWS alert warns of "dangerously hot conditions" below 4,000 feet in the Grand Canyon on Monday, with daytime temperatures ranging from 102 degrees Fahrenheit at Havasupai Gardens, to 114 degrees at Phantom Ranch. "Day hikers on Bright Angel Trail should descend no farther than 1 1/2 miles from the upper trailhead," the NWS said. "Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., hikers should be out of the canyon or at Havasupai Gardens or Bright Angel campgrounds, physical activity is discouraged." It said that hikers should carry proper gear such as a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, salty snacks, enough water, and an electrolyte mix. It added that increasing calorie intake can help sustain energy levels. The extreme heat warnings also cover southern Arizona more widely, as well as a neighboring portion of southeastern California, with temperatures up to 116 degrees possible in places. Elsewhere, heat advisories have been issued for parts of New Mexico and western Texas, where triple-digit temperatures are expected on Monday. An extreme heat warning in the Death Valley National Park in California in 2023. An extreme heat warning in the Death Valley National Park in California in 2023. Ty ONeil/AP What People Are Saying The NWS forecast office in Flagstaff, Arizona, said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: "An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through Monday for the Grand Canyon below 4000'. Be sure to exercise enhanced caution with any outdoor activities, especially for individuals who are sensitive to heat." The NWS said on X on Wednesday: "During hot and humid weather, your body's ability to cool itself is challenged in ways you may not expect. When your body heats too rapidly, or when too much fluid or salt is lost through dehydration or sweating, you may experience a heat-related illness. Stay weather-ready by learning the symptoms of extreme heat exposure and the appropriate responses." NWS Phoenix said on X on Sunday:"High temperatures will be running 5-10 degrees above normal this week, with the hottest day being today. Temperatures will also be similarly hot on Thursday for south-central and southeastern AZ, following the passage of a dry and weak weather system early week." What Happens Next The extreme heat warning for southern parts of Arizona is set to remain in force until 8 p.m. on Monday evening. The NWS issues regular forecast updates on its website and social media channels.
