You don’t expect to see 75- or even 80-degree water in the Great Lakes in early July or, in most years, anytime. But an exceptionally hot weather pattern has pushed water temperatures in most of the lakes to the highest levels on record so early in the summer. Over lakes Erie and Ontario, the water is the warmest it has been since records began being kept, and could warm more in the coming weeks.
The abnormally warm waters, consistent with climate-change trends in recent decades, could compromise water quality and harm marine life in some areas. Surface water temperatures averaged over all of the Great Lakes, except the deep and choppy Lake Superior, have risen well into the 70s while Lake Erie has flirted with 80 degrees. That’s about the same water temperature as the surf off Virginia Beach.
[The Atlantic hurricane season is off to a record fast start and is likely to get worse]
These water temperatures over the Lakes are some 6 to 11 degrees warmer than normal.