Loading Page...

Why is lake water so cold?

Lake temperatures are largely driven by interactions with the atmosphere, so colder air temperatures lead to colder lake temperatures, according to the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL).



People Also Ask

The high heat capacity and cooling power of evaporation work on bodies of water as well as your body. Bodies of water are slow to warm up, even under a blazing summer sun, and are constantly cooled by evaporation.

MORE DETAILS

It's all part of what makes weather, the unequal heating of the Earth's surface. That is why over the next couple of months you will hear us often say, “cooler by the lake.” Then again, as boaters and people who enjoy our beautiful waters know, it is always cooler by the lake.

MORE DETAILS

If you live in Michigan it probably won't come as a shock to you that Lake Superior is the coldest lake in the United States.

MORE DETAILS

At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey.

MORE DETAILS

During the early morning hours, the land and the water start out at roughly the same temperature. On a calm morning, a given pressure surface will be at the same height above both the land and water. A few hours later, the sun's energy begins to warm the land more rapidly than the water.

MORE DETAILS

Rain may have a cooling effect on the lake surface by lowering the near-surface air temperature, by the direct rain heat flux into the lake, by mixing the lake surface layer through the flux of kinetic energy and by convective mixing of the lake surface layer.

MORE DETAILS

Since 1995, average surface water temperatures have increased slightly for each of the Great Lakes (see Figure 2).

MORE DETAILS

Turnover is like being at the mall … or at a fair. Turnover is a natural way the lake cleans up harmful bacteria and algae. It carries dead algae down into the depths of the lake where there is less sunlight, helping to prevent algae growth.

MORE DETAILS

If you are getting 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit, turnover may be nearing or just starting. By 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit the lake is making the change rapidly, and fall turnover is complete at around 40.

MORE DETAILS

Lake Michigan, the third largest by surface area (22,300 square miles) and second largest by volume (1,180 cubic miles), is the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States.

MORE DETAILS

#1: Alaska Lakes (3,000,000) Some of the largest lakes in Alaska include Iliamna Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in Alaska and is known for its excellent salmon fishing, and Lake Clark, which is a popular destination for kayaking and camping.

MORE DETAILS