Milwaukee, WI – Mariners are being warned of extremely dangerous conditions on Lake Michigan as the National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan issues both a Storm Warning and a Gale Warning for much of the lake’s open waters.
According to the alert, a Storm Warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Wednesday until midnight Wednesday night, followed by a Gale Warning from midnight Wednesday night through midnight Thursday night.
Forecasters expect west winds of 35 to 45 knots with gusts up to 50 knots during the height of the storm, creating waves between 17 and 22 feet across the southern two-thirds of Lake Michigan. Once the storm transitions to gale conditions, northwest winds of 30 to 40 knots and waves up to 19 feet will continue to make the lake extremely hazardous into Thursday night.
The warning zone extends from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, to St. Joseph, Michigan, including offshore waters from Sheboygan, Port Washington, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, across to Manistee, Grand Haven, and Holland, Michigan.
According to the National Weather Service, visibility will be sharply reduced, and vessels could capsize or sustain structural damage in these conditions. Mariners are strongly urged to remain in port, alter course, or secure vessels immediately ahead of the storm.
The system, fueled by an intense low-pressure gradient, is expected to bring some of the highest winds and waves seen so far this fall across the Great Lakes. Conditions should begin to slowly improve by early Friday as winds ease and waves subside.
