Storm to bring 20-foot waves to four of five Great Lakes; freighters batten down

Twenty-foot waves on the Great Lakes as fall turns to winter are not uncommon. But 20-foot waves on every Great Lake are.

But that could be in the cards this weekend as a "once in a generation" Arctic storm moving through North America unleashes its wrath over the Great Lakes region. And with large freighters still shipping on the Great Lakes, ship captains and crews are doing what they can to get ready.

"The forecast is for 20-foot waves or a little higher on just about all the Great Lakes − maybe a little less on Lake Huron," said Daniel Titze, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor.

"It's not super-common."

Waves exceeding 20 feet in height are forecasted Friday on four of the five Great Lakes, with waves nearing 20 feet forecast on Lake Huron.
Waves exceeding 20 feet in height are forecasted Friday on four of the five Great Lakes, with waves nearing 20 feet forecast on Lake Huron.

Waves are driven by wind, and winds all day Friday into Saturday morning are forecasted at 50 knots (about 58 mph) gusting up to 70 knots (nearly 81 mph) on portions of the Great Lakes.

"It's so early in winter that there's not any ice to speak of to dampen the waves," Titze said.

The U.S. Coast Guard district that patrols the Great Lakes is bracing for what's to come.

"We strongly advise against being out on the water at this time," said Petty Officer Omar Faba with the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland.

Weather conditions could also affect the Coast Guard's response vessels and aircraft, "potentially preventing them from being able to respond to situations," he said.

In its urgent marine weather warnings issued for early Friday morning to early Saturday morning on the Great Lakes, NOAA also didn't mince words. Among the concerns − a warning of heavy freezing spray throughout the day which could coat the ships in dangerous ice.

"Operating a vessel in heavy freezing spray is hazardous," the NOAA weather warning states. "Freezing spray may render mechanical and electronic components inoperative. Rapid ice accretion on decks and superstructures may result in a catastrophic loss of stability. Very strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility."

Freighter Algoma Sault travels on Lake St. Clair, as it passes Pier Park in Grosse Pointe Farms on Dec. 22, 2022.
Freighter Algoma Sault travels on Lake St. Clair, as it passes Pier Park in Grosse Pointe Farms on Dec. 22, 2022.

On relatively shallow Lake Erie, the huge wave action will also cause below-normal water levels resulting in hazardous navigating conditions, NOAA warned.

"Water levels are forecast to reach 4 feet below low water datum between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Saturday, which is 54 inches below the critical mark for safe navigation," the agency's alert stated.

More: Flight delays, cancellations begin at Detroit Metro Airport: How to check flight statusMore: Winter storm to bring 3-7 inches of snow, high winds to metro Detroit: Timeline of events

The alerts advise maritime vessels to "remain in port, alter course and/or secure the vessel for severe conditions."

But the website MarineTraffic, which monitors ship movements globally, showed considerable shipping traffic on the Great Lakes continuing Thursday.

"Busiest I've (ever) seen Lake Huron! Must be the Christmas rush!" wrote a poster to the "Boatnerds" Facebook group.

Mike Rezabek, who indicated he is a crew member aboard the bulk carrier Lee A. Tregurtha, replied, "We are all trying to get to where we need to go before this storm really ramps up."

In western Lake Superior, the 1,000-foot freighter James R. Barker on Thursday was making the eastern trek toward Cleveland, a trip whose duration will collide with the Great Lakes storm. The ship is owned by the Interlake Steamship Co. of Cleveland, the largest privately held shipping company on the Great Lakes.

"Our mariners are well-trained in weather, weather patterns and forecasting in the Great Lakes region," said Chrissy Kadleck, director of communications for Interlake Maritime Services, which owns and operates the Steamship Company.

The ships receive up-to-the-minute weather and water level data from NOAA and Canadian services, she said.

"With this holiday storm moving into the region, many vessels will take routes that keep them safely moving and/or take shelter to wait out the fast-moving storm," Kadleck said.

How these Great Lakes waves will compare to other historic storms is difficult to ascertain, Titze said.

"A lot of the wave measurements come from buoys, and historically, the buoys can't be in the lakes in the winter," he said.

NOAA is developing new technology − remote sensing with satellites, more robust buoys that can remain deployed in winter, and below-ice sensors, to better track winter wave activity, he said.

The storm and waves are expected to begin to weaken by early Saturday morning, Titze said.

Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Storm to bring 20-foot waves to four of five Great Lakes