Monday, September 5, 2011

Pure Michigan

Yesterday was a warm and sunny late summer day here, just East of the Equator. After checking out the Harrisville Arts and Crafts Show, we proceeded down to the beach. Deirdre and Samson and I spent a few lazy hours enjoying the warm breeze from the southeast, and we also manged to get in a long swim in Lake Huron. The water was warm and inviting. The waves were less than a foot and the swells were non-existent. When we finally came back to the cottage, our outside thermometer informed me that it was 78.8F. It was a beautiful day. Here is an image of Samson enjoying some quality time under an umbrella at our beach on this sunny Sunday, 4 September, 2011.

From 5 Sep 2011

Fast forward 18 hours and things have changed. When I woke up this fine Labor Day morning, the outside temperature was 52.2F, there was a steady 10-15 knot breeze from the northeast and the waters of Lake Huron were pounding the shoreline. The waves were easily 3-4 feet with about a 12-15 foot swell.


Today appears to be a one-day anomaly. The weatherguessers are telling me that the the forecast through the end of the week is that it will warm up to the mid 70s by the weekend. It is often said that if you don't like the weather in Michigan, just wait a few minutes. It will change.


The temperature swing and the shift in the weather is driven by the Great Lakes that we love and enjoy. Lake Huron and its fellow Great Lakes serve as enormous heat sumps which, given the correct conditions, can cause the weather to be so fickle in the Enchanted Mitten. We would not have it any other way.

2 comments:

Gary said...

It is amazing how quickly the weather can change around here. It can even change just by driving a couple of miles west away from the coast. It can be quite a bit warmer or colder depending on the weather fronts. Even the condition of the water can change quickly. From still as a mirror to stormy in just a few minutes. It's great isn't it?

Deirdre Honner said...

Gary, it's just gorgeous! The water is very warm and the wind is gusty. Big waves, fabulous wind, lots of sunshine, no humidity! Just perfect.