Lake Superior is on Fire!

[noelH]

First real cold temperatures since the Polar Vortex of '21 or '22.  Awoke to -20C/-4F.  Beautiful sunrise and smoke rising from the water.  After breakfast shovel the snow. Dead calm. Radiant warmth of the sun. Didn't feel like sub-zero.

Lake Effect "warmth" here on the Southshore. Westerly cold front v. N.  But the "warmth" of L. Superior kept things a bit warmer. -2F at LaPoint weather station vs. -12F at the Duluth Harbor.  Not sure why Duluth was/is #5 on a list of "climate havens".  The listers must never have spent a winter in Duluth.  Of course it was the same list that had Ashville, NC as #1.

When I left the house yesterday morning it was cold and windy. 17F @~1000. Felt colder than today.  5 miles by road into Bayfield. 12F in town. Had me confused. Usually warmer by Lake.  Back home couple hours later. 11F at the house.  I guess a fast moving cold front. Reason why to have a winter ditch kit in the vehicle. May leave home in mellow conditions, but the moment you ditch the vehicle....

Yesterday had to be miserable for any of the commercial vessels out on the Lake. Freezing spray, ice building up everywhere, heavy seas.... Usually commercial vessel traffic ends when they close the locks at the end of December.  Wonder with no ice over the past couple seasons if they stay open longer or like the Madeline Is. Ferry end up running all year long?

[Norm L.]

Although rare, we have had smoke on Lake Pontchartrain

This isn't it

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