(WKBN)- Early Saturday morning, waterspouts were reported along the shores of Lake Erie. According to the National Weather Service, waterspouts are “whirling columns of air and water mist which form over bodies of water such as Lake Erie.”
In a preliminary storm report from the National Weather Service in Cleveland at 8:50 a.m. Saturday, a trained weather spotter reported, “large waterspout observed along with other funnel clouds offshore of Mentor Headlands Beach State Park.” This was not officially confirmed, but the potential for weak funnels were still possible at times.
How do these form? Similar to what we expect in the wintertime with cool air moving over the warmer lakes, we have seen lake effect rain showers across the Valley the past several days. The setup that has brought these rain showers to the Youngstown area aids in conditions that initiate waterspouts.
A waterspout can move from the water to land, in which case it would then be referred to as a tornado. Lake Erie’s water temperatures have been warm this fall already. Current water temperatures over Lake Erie are in the mid-60s, while air temperatures today have only been in the 40s.
The contrast in air vs. lake temperatures has fueled showers and waterspouts this morning. The National Weather Service warns that boaters on the water should move at a 90-degree angle from the apparent motion of the waterspout for safety. The office will issue special marine warnings for these threats as they occur.
This pattern will continue this afternoon, but should become less impactful early next week. Just like in tornadoes, boaters and those along Lake Erie should pay attention to warnings and take shelter when waterspouts are spotted.
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