January 4, 2008 ~ Detroit  Lake Superior levels started 2007 at 600.13 feet, about 17 inches below its January long-term average (LTA). Levels peaked in October at 600.98 feet, about 13 inches below its October LTA. Lake Superior normally peaks in August. Lake Superior levels ended the year at 600.75 feet, about 12 inches below its December LTA.

Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron are currently in their longest stretches of below average water levels since 1918. Lake Superior set new record low water levels in August and September breaking records set in 1926. Well above average rainfall from mid September through the end of October lifted Lake Superior’s water level 9 inches. Lake Michigan-
Huron has not yet set any new records, but with continued dry conditions, new marks could be set in early 2008.

Ice cover in 2006/2007 was slow to develop due to a very warm December and early January. During September Houghton, MI recorded 18 days with a high temperature above 32 degrees. When arctic air arrived in mid-January, the Great Lakes were largely ice free, setting up an ideal environment for large scale evaporation rates. Nine inches of water evaporated from Lake Superior during January and ebruary.

Lake Superior levels started 2007 at 600.13 feet, about 17 inches below its January long-term average (LTA). Levels peaked in October at 600.98 feet, about 13 inches below its October LTA. Lake Superior normally peaks in August. Lake Superior levels ended the year at 600.75 feet, about 12 inches below its December LTA. Lakes Michigan-Huron began the year at 577.43 feet, about 13 inches below its January LTA. The lakes peaked in June, one month earlier than usual, at 577.69 feet, about 19 inches below the June LTA. The year ended with the level at 576.38, about 27 inches below the December LTA.

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) of the NWS issues seasonal outlooks for both temperature and precipitation conditions. The CPC’s latest winter outlooks for the Great Lakes region indicate an increased chance for above average precipitation and temperature conditions. These outlooks are mostly based on a moderate La Nina pattern, consistent with cooler Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures. If the predictions for increased precipitation hold true, water levels on the Great Lakes could climb closer to their long-term averages.  The latest forecast of lake levels predicts higher water levels on Lake Superior when compared to 2007. The remaining lakes are forecasted to be well below their levels of 2007. Given dry conditions, Lake Michigan-Huron could set new record lows in early 2008.