Great Lakes slightly colder than usual ahead of summer

• The Great Lakes have started warming up, although they won’t reach their warmest until late August and are slightly cooler than usual.
• Lake Superior is the coldest of the lakes and takes longer to warm, while Lake Erie warms the quickest.
• Michiganders can expect warmer-than-normal temperatures over the next few months.

Now that Memorial Day is behind us, thoughts naturally turn to summer and the return of watersports on the Great Lakes, but Michiganders tempted to take a dip in those inviting waters now might be in for a chilly surprise.

Slowed by a cold May, the Great Lakes are slightly cooler than usual for this time of year. 

The temperatures are off by a couple of degrees in places, sometimes less than that. Still, the chilly conditions are something to be aware of if you’re planning to get in the water early in the season, said Harold Dippman, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Gaylord.

“You can get into some of that colder water and it can be pretty shocking if you’re not ready for it,” he said.

The lakes tend to not reach their peak temperature until late August.

The slightly lower water temperatures aren’t likely to impact lakeside towns, which are beginning to receive the summertime tourists that support the local economy, especially since higher-than-normal air temperatures are expected throughout the summer.

“People come here year after year,” said Dawn Terrell, a front desk attendant at the Ship n’ Shore Hotel in downtown Saugatuck. “They come to the hotel — enjoy the town, enjoy the beach and enjoy the activities.”

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The temperatures in each lake vary, with Superior being the coolest because it is the furthest north and Lake Erie being the warmest.

While there isn’t a specific, ideal temperature for swimming in the lakes, most people are comfortable swimming in water ranging from 70 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

However, swimming in water below 70 degrees for a long period of time can increase the chances of experiencing hypothermia.

Current water temperatures

Temperatures in the four Great Lakes that surround Michigan typically range from 39 to 56 degrees at this time of year. Here’s where they stood as of Tuesday:

Lake Michigan: The average surface temperature in Lake Michigan, as of Tuesday, is 45.7 degrees Fahrenheit, with the warmest waters in the southern tip of the lake. Colder waters hovering around 43 degrees are hugging the state’s west coast, according to the Great Lakes Observing System, a nonprofit group that tracks water conditions in the Great Lakes.

Lake Superior: Lake Superior’s average temperature is a cooler 38.4 degrees, with warmer temperatures in the high forties on the northern coast of the Upper Peninsula.

Lake Huron: The lake’s average surface temperature is 43.1 degrees, but it’s much warmer inside Saginaw Bay, where the surface water is sitting at 55 degrees. The waters are also relatively warm traveling up the state’s east coast toward Alpena, where the lake is at 51 degrees. 

Lake Erie: The warmest waters in the warmest great lake are found in the western half of Lake Erie, near Monroe and Toledo, where water is currently around 60 degrees. Lake Erie’s average temperature as of Tuesday is 53.8 degrees.

Staying safe in cooler water

Though the Great Lakes still have nearly two months before they reach their highest temperatures, Memorial Day, widely considered the unofficial start of summer, brought a return to summer activities like boating, wakeboarding and swimming in the water.

For people interested in getting in the water now, Dippman said, putting on a wetsuit that provides some insulation from the cold waters would be wise. Even people taking a casual stroll along the water or near a pier should at least be aware of the cold temperatures, on the off-chance they fall in, he added.

And before heading to the beaches, Dippman said, it’s smart to check the conditions for the water temperatures and to be aware of the potential for rip currents along the shore.

“We welcome everybody to come up and enjoy all the wonderful natural resources we have up here,” he said. “But, y’know, be cognizant of the situations at hand.”

Warmer weather on the way

Meanwhile, the overcast weather and rainfall that punctuated May is expected to give way to warmer-than-normal temperatures as Michigan approaches the official start of summer in late June.

“If you’re a warm weather fan it’s definitely something to look forward to,” Dippman said.

The National Weather Service says there’s a 33% to 40% chance that Michigan, alongside other states bordering the western Great Lakes, experience above-normal temperatures this summer. That’s a lower likelihood for hot weather than in other parts of the country, however, like the West Coast and southwest Texas.

The Great Lakes region could experience occasional lower temperatures during the summer thanks to the polar jet stream drawing down cooler air from the Arctic.

That could help bring “some periods of cooler weather sandwiched between some of those warmer periods," Dippman added.