Officials talk safety at Water Safety Expo
MARQUETTE — With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid to upper 70’s in the forecast for the holiday weekend, the National Weather Service is reminding beach goers and swimmers about the potential dangers out on the Great Lakes.
The NWS, Marquette City Fire Department and the Coast Guard all hosted a Water Safety Expo Friday at McCarty’s Cove. Meteorologist Keith Cooley talked with people about the Beach Forecasts that are available for them to check before they go to the beach.
These forecasts include the swim risk for a particular area and any beach hazards that may be in effect.
“This time of year when we start getting the colder weather coming in over the warmer lake, we start to build a lot more waves really quickly,” said Cooley. “A lot of the colder air gets down to the surface and can really push that water along, so it does really change quickly. That’s one of the reasons we want people to check the Beach Forecast to figure out if the conditions are right to swim.”
“It might seem beautiful and calm one minute and then the next minute the currents are swirling underneath the surface and you can’t even tell,” said Brett Beaudry, a firefighter with the Marquette City Fire Department. “We just want to get the word out there to be safe, just be smart and don’t get too crazy with the water because it is very unpredictable.”
Beaudry added that after the holiday weekend, there will no longer be lifeguards on site for the rest of the season in Marquette.
To check the beach forecast in your area, click HERE.