NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL GLERL-20 SUMMARY OF GREAT LAKES WEATHER AND ICE CONDITIONS, WINTER 1976-77 F. H. Quinn R. A. Assel D. E. Boyce G. A. Leshkevich C. R. Snider D. Weisnet Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Ann Arbor, Michigan October 1978 UNITED STATES NATIONAL OCEANIC AND Enwonmen!al Research DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AlMOSPHEAlC ADMlNlSTRATlON Latoratoiles Juanita M. Kreps. Secretary Rlchard A. hank. Admwliator Wllmoi N Hess, Director NOTICE The NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories do not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to the NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories, or to this publication furnished by the NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that the NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased because of this NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories publication. ii LANDSAT fake color image of ice cover on Lake Michigan for 16 February 1977. The winter of 1976-77 produced a record u.maZ ice extent on Lake Michigan. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration SUMMARY OF GREAT LAKES WEATHER AND ICE CONDITIONS, WINTER 1976-77 F. H. Quinn', R. A. Assell, D. E. Boyce2, G. A. Leshkevich', 3 C. R. Snider' , and D. Weisnet October 1978 1 Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Environmental Research Laboratories National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2300 Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 2 National Weather Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 3 National Environmental Satellite Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration CONTENTS Page Abstract 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. SUMMARY OF METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS 3 2.1 Synoptic Study of the Winter 3 2.1.1 The Preparatory Phase 10 2.1.2 The Onset of Winter 10 2.1.3 The Northern Intense Phase 11 2.1.4 The Core of the Winter 13 2.1.5 The Receding Phase 15 2.1.6 The Precipitation Pattern 15 2.2 Freezing Degree-Days 15 2.3 Climatic Anomalies and Comparisons 23 2.4 Comparison with Previous Winters 28 2.4.1 The Winter of 1903-04 30 2.4.2 The Winter of 1783-84 30 2.4.3 The Winter of 1874-75 30 2.4.4 The Winter of 1779-80 30 2.4.5 Character of Winters 32 3. SUMMARY OF ICE CONDITIONS 32 3.1 Data Collection Platforms and Processes 32 3.1.1 Visual Aerial Ice Reconnaissance 33 3.1.2 Side Looking Airborne Radar 33 3.1.3 Satellite Imagery 34 3.2 General Description 35 3.2.1 Fall Cooling Phase 35 3.2.2 Ice Formation and Breakup Phases 37 3.2.3 The Ice Cycle on Lake Superior 120 3.2.4 The Ice Cycle on Lake Michigan 122 3.2.5 The Ice Cycle on Lake Huron 124 3.2.6 The Ice Cycle on Lake St. Clair 125 3.2.7 The Ice Cycle on Lake Erie 126 3.2.8 The Ice Cycle on Lake Ontario 127 3.3 Comparisons with Previous Winters 128 iii 4. CONCLUDING REMARKS 129 4.1 Effects on Lake Commerce 129 4.2 Air-Lake (Water) Interaction 135 4.3 Hydrology 138 5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 139 6. REFERENCES 139 6.1 Data Sources and Supplemental Bibliography 141 iv FIGURES Page 1. Geographic location chart for the Great Lakes. 2 2a. Mean 700 mb heights, November 1976. 4 2b. Mean 700 mb heights, December 1976. 5 2c. Mean 700 mb heights, January 1977. 6 32. Normal 700 mb heights, November 1976. 7 3b. Normal 700 mb heights, December 1976. 8 32. Normal 700 mb heights, January 1977. 9 4a. Mean temperature ("C), November 1976. 11 4b. Mean temperature departure from normal ("C), November 1976. 12 42. Mean temperature departure from normal (a), November 1976. 12 52. Minimum temperature, 9 January 1977 ("C). 13 5b. Minimum temperature, 17 January 1977 ("C). 14 6. Precipitation excess or deficiency (cm water equivalent), December 1976 through February 1977. lb 7a. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Duluth, Minn. 18 7b. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Marquette, Mich. 19 7c. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 19 7d. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Green Bay, Wis. 20 7e. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Milwaukee, Wis. 20 7s. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Muskegon, Mich. 21 7g- Freezing degree-day accumulations, Alpena, Mich. 21 7h. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Cleveland, Ohio. 22 7i. Freezing degree-day accumulations, Buffalo, N.Y. 22 V 7j. Freezing degreeday accumulations, Rochester, N.Y. 23 Eta. Mean temperature ("C), December 1976. 25 8b. Mean temperature departure from normal ("C), December 1976. 25 &. Mean temperature departure from normal (u), December 1976. 26 9a. Mean temperature ("0, January 1977. 26 9b. Mean temperature departure from normal ("C), January 1977. 27 9c. Mean temperature departure from normal c(J), January 1977. 27 l&Z. Mean temperature ("C), November 1976 through January 1977. 29 lob. Mean temperature departure from normal ("C), November 1976 through January 1977. 29 lla. Composite ice chart for 5 December 1976. 38 llb. Composite ice chart for 12 December 1976. 40 llc. Composite ice chart for 19 December 1976. 42 lid. Composite ice chart for 26 December 1976. 44 lle. Composite ice chart for 2 January 1977. 46 llf. Composite ice chart for 9 January 1977. 48 llg. Composite ice chart for lb January 1977. 50 llh. Composite ice chart for 23 January 1977. 52 lli. Composite ice chart for 30 January 1977. 54 ll,j. Composite ice chart for 6 February 1977. 56 Ilk. Composite ice chart for 13 February 1977. 58 112. Composite ice chart for 20 February 1977. 60 llm. Composite ice chart for 27 February 1977. 62 lln. Composite ice chart for 6 March 1977. 64 vi 110. Composite ice chart for 13 March 1977. 66 llp. Composite ice chart for 20 March 1977. 68 llq. Composite ice chart for 27 March 1977. 70 11r. Composite ice chart for 3 April 1977. 72 11s. Composite ice chart fore 10 April 1977. 74 11t. Composite ice chart for 17 April 1977. 76 llu. Composite ice chart for 24 April 1977. 78 12a. NOAA-5 VHRR-IR image for 9 January 1977. 80 12b. NOAA-5 VHRR-IR image for 13 January 1977. 81 12c. GOES VISSR (visible) image for lb January 1977. a2 12d. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 18 January 1977. a2 12e. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 25 January 1977. 83 P 12f. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 1 February 1977. a4 12g. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 7 February 1977. 85 12h. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 10 February 1977. 86 12i. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 22 February 1977. a7 12.j. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 1 March 1977. 88 12k. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 7 March 1977. 89 122. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 8 March 1977. 90 lZ/?l. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 21 March 1977. 91 12%. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 25 March 1977. 92 120. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 6 April 1977. 92 12p. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 9 April 1977. 93 12q. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 14 April 1977. 94 12r. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 22 April 1977. 95 12s. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 25 April 1977. 96 vii 12t. NOAA-5 VHRR-IR (nighttime) image for 13 December 1976. 97 12u. NOAA-5 VRRR-IR (daytime) image for 11 January 1977. 98 12v. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 21 January 1977. 99 12w. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 27 January 1977. 99 12.X. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 16 February 1977. 100 12lJ. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 16 March 1977. 101 122. NOAA-5 VHRR (visible) image for 22 March 1977. 102 12aa. NOAA-5 VHRR-IR (nighttime) image for 8 December 1976. 103 12bb. NOAA-5 VHRR-IR image for 7 January 1977. 104 12CC. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 9 February 1977. 105 12dd. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 10 February 1977. 105 12ee. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 15 February 1977. 106 Wf. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 28 February 1977. 106 1299. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 17 March 1977. 107 12hh. NOAA VHRR (visible) image for 24 March 1977. 108 12ii. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 29 March 1977. 109 12jj. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 3 April 1977. 109 12kk. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 8 April 1977. 110 1212. NOAA VHRR (visible) image for 11 March 1977. 111 12mm. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 27 December 1977. 112 12nn. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 9 January 1977. 112 1200. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 7 February 1977. 113 12PP. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 21 February 1977. 113 wq* GOES VISSR (visible) image for 1 March 1977. 114 12PP. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 2 March 1977. 114 viii 12ss. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 8 March 1977. 115 12tt. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 9 March 1977. 115 12uu. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 19 March 1977. 116 12vv. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 21 March 1977. 116 12ww. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 24 March 1977. 117 12XX. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 25 March 1977. 117 12YY. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 27 March 1977. 118 1222. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 30 March 1977. 118 12&m. GOES VISSR (visible) image for 9 April 1977.
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