Sunlit Storm Front Over Lake Michigan
September 02, 2013
Photographer: Ken Scott; Ken's Web site
Summary Author: Ken Scott
The panorama above showing a storm front over northeastern Lake Michigan was taken near Northport, Michigan just before sunset on August 2, 2013. Note the rain shaft to the right (northwest) of the low hanging Sun. Storms moving with the prevailing westerly winds across the Great Lakes enhance precipitation and cloudiness on the windward coasts, for example the western shore of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
Within the past year, lake levels in Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior either set or were close to their all-time record low. The last time the upper three Great Lakes had such low water levels was in the mid 1960s. It appears that a significant increase in evaporation, resulting from higher annual temperatures during recent years/decades in the Great Lakes region, has played the principal role in lowering the level of the lakes.
Photo details: Camera Model: NIKON D600; Lens: 24.0-85.0 mm f/3.5-4.5; Focal Length: 42.0mm (35mm equivalent: 42mm); Aperture: f/11.0; Exposure Time: 0.0025 s (1/400); ISO equiv: 200; Software: 12 photos stitched in Photoshop CS3 Macintosh.