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Lake  Huron water levels defy the odds: stay above normal

LAKE HURON—Lake Huron has done it again—posted above average water levels throughout January and into the beginning of February, despite the lack of ice cover or precipitation.

According to Derrick Beach, editor of Environment Canada’s LEVELNews, Lakes Michigan and Huron were 18 centimetres above the January monthly average of 176.4 metres and by the beginning of February, 22 centimetres above average for this time of year.

“Comparing to last year, Lake Huron is six centimetres below (last year’s figures),” Mr. Beach told The Expositor, noting the dry fall and winter to date.

However, “on average, the lake will fall three centimetres in January—but this year, it’s actually risen one centimetre in January,” Mr. Beach added.

Even though there is only 10 percent ice coverage on the whole of the Great Lakes, the conditions for evaporation have not been great because of the prolonged absence of sunny days—good news for Lake Huron. Mr. Beach explained that fluctuating temperatures are needed for evaporation, which hasn’t been seen.

“This puts us pretty close to where we were last year,” Mr. Beach said. “And sets us up for another above-average spring.”

Article written by

Alicia McCutcheon
Alicia McCutcheon
Alicia McCutcheon has served as editor-in-chief of The Manitoulin Expositor and The Manitoulin West Recorder since 2011. She grew up in the newspaper business and earned an Honours B.A. in communications from Laurentian University, Sudbury, also achieving a graduate certificate in journalism, with distinction, from Cambrian College. Ms. McCutcheon has received peer recognition for her writing, particularly on the social consequences of the Native residential school program. She manages a staff of four writers from her office at The Manitoulin Expositor in Little Current.