NWS talks Waterspout 101
NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP — Thursday’s waterspout on Lake Superior made national news. Footage of the whirlwind water made an appearance on ‘America This Morning’ on ABC 10.
According to National Weather Service Meteorologist Keith Cooley, waterspouts are not that rare on Lake Superior. Cooley added that this waterspout was rare because it was visible to everyone and it had the potential at one point to make it onshore and become a tornado.
“With yesterday’s waterspout, we actually did see a little bit of rotation signature with it,” said Cooley. “That just points to the fact that it was a little stronger of a waterspout.”
“With a waterspout, usually the winds aren’t as strong,” Cooley added. “We look for calmer winds and a more unstable atmosphere, kind of like what we had (Wednesday). There was a lot of colder air moving through the warmer waters of the lake. That kind of set things up for a waterspout to form.”
The tornado warning was canceled a few minutes after it was first issued.