These lakes are the perfect backdrop for swimming, boating, and other water-related activities. But there can be more danger in these Great Lakes waves than what you'd find in the ocean. The Great Lakes are more than capable of generating waves over 10 feet high, despite being smaller than our oceans.
A north-northeast wind has pushed the warmer surface water along the Michigan shore back toward the middle of Lake Michigan and brought up colder water from well beneath the surface. This process is called upwelling.
Lake Surface TemperatureSurface temperatures of Lake Michigan follow a monthly pattern with the warmest temperatures occurring in late summer and early fall and the coolest temperatures occurring in late winter and early spring (Figure 17).
Pollution. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are generally considered the most polluted of the Great Lakes, but Lake Michigan's waters also contain an unacceptable level of pollutants. Most of the pollution is plastic waste, though, which poses little risk to swimmers.
Erie is the most southerly, shallow, and biologically diverse of all of the Great Lakes. Its shallow depth makes it the warmest Great Lake and a favourite destination for summer recreationists and migrating birds.
Lake Michigan water temperaturesLake Michigan sees its warmest water temperatures typically from late-June through mid-September. It's not uncommon to have surface water temperatures in the 70s and sometimes even low 80s along the West Michigan lakeshore in that same time frame.
Those who brave the frigid feat and swim in the winter are nicknamed “ice monsters.” Lake Michigan continuously cools throughout winter, and with March averaging an annual low of 32.9 degrees, it's the chilliest month for open-water swimming.
Lake Erie is the fourth-largest lake in North America (by surface area) and the eleventh-largest worldwide. It is the Great Lakes' southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume. By the 1960s, Lake Erie had become the most polluted of the Great Lakes, owing to the substantial industrial presence along its coasts.
(a) The danger zone. An area bounded on the north by latitude 42°20'30?; on the east by longitude 87°47'30?; on the south by latitude 42°18'45?; and on the west by the shoreline.
Lake Annecy originates from around 18,000 years ago, as a result of the melting of glaciers in the Alps. Today, it is considered the second largest lake in France and it has the title of the cleanest lake in Europe, due to strict environmental regulations introduced around 1960.
Should you shower after swimming in Lake Michigan? Take a shower: Bathe yourself after swimming in a lake in order to maintain hygiene and stay clean. If bacteria has not entered your body, it may be actively resting on your skin, creating a rash or finding an open cut to infect.
The water can be pretty cold, especially during the early days of summer, before it has a chance to warm after a typically cold Chicago winter, but in the middle of summer, around July and August, it warms quite a bit. The average temperature of the water in summer is around 70' and in winter, about 40'.
Lower Michigan is surrounded by water on the north, east and west. Any wind from those directions will blow air over the water and then over Lower Michigan. The cold water will cool the air and keep us in a chill. It's a nice cooling effect on a hot summer day, but it's a frigid effect in April and May.