Posted on 12/31/2025 2:50:15 AM PST by equaviator
SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW) – Video captured along Lake Erie on Monday showcases a dramatic shift in water levels near Sandusky as powerful wind gusts sweep through Northeast Ohio.
As seen in the video below, the levels are significantly low on some of the western edges of the lake in what the FOX 8 weather team describes as a seiche.
The unique weather phenomenon exposes the usually covered floors of Lake Erie, thanks in part to strong winds and atmospheric pressure.
“It’s like sloshing the water in your bathtub,” FXO 8 Meteorologist Scott Sabol explained during a previous occurrence. ‘The water will go from the west of the lake to the east part of the lake and will drastically change the height of the lake over a short period of time. The levels then return to normal after the winds die down.”
A high wind warning was in effect for most of Northeast Ohio, damaging trees and power lines and knocking out power for thousands of residents.
A seiche is a wind-driven phenomenon often compared to water sloshing back and forth in a giant bathtub. In this event, persistent gale-force winds from Winter Storm Ezra forced trillions of gallons of water toward the eastern end. Once the winds relax, the water will “slosh” back toward the west, often oscillating for hours before returning to normal levels.
This old dog just learned something new.
Its Glowbal Schwarming !
Run for your lives !
Weather in Sandusky is ridiculous.
More seriously, the high water reports from Buffalo are more interesting than low water levels on the west end of Zlake Erie.
Seiches occur as well on Lake Michigan (and probably other Great Lakes), and they can be (and have been) deadly to those unfamiliar with them. From Wikipedia: “On June 26, 1954, on Lake Michigan in Chicago, eight fishermen were swept away from piers at Montrose and North Avenue Beaches and drowned when a 3-metre (10 ft) seiche hit the Chicago waterfront.”
When I was younger a derecho storm caused an epic seiche on lake Huron. Boats were left far up on shore, driven there and left on lakeshore lawns as the water went back out.
CC
Has to somehow be Trump’s fault. /superfluous-comment-mode-off
Then the warm weather, wind and excessive rain this past week has pretty much ruined what ice we had.
This kind of thing is bound to happen. Great Lakes weather is always full of surprises.
I suppose there were a lot of gamefish running east into the deep end as this thing blew through.
I don’t know but Erie has great walleye and perch fishing.
Late winter you always read about ice fishermen getting stranded on the ice when winds out of the west blow the ice from the shore.
Clearly a case of Trump-induced climate change. Because doesn’t everything remotely weather-related or -influenced have to be “climate change”, which can be fixed if only you give more money and power to politicians?
I’ve had a hankering for some good lake trout and found some steelhead filets at Kroger. Steelhead are not lake trout but it’ll do.
Are we all Going to die? 😝
Yup, that’s what it was.
Local news (SW MI) was showing pics of cars, snowmobiles, etc. covered by crustaceans that was underwater for many years. Not much doubt that these were low IQ people who brought their vehicles out on ice that was too thin. If there were polar bears on the Great Lakes these dumbasses would have made a nice lunch.
Mmmmmm...fried perch! 💕
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