Powerful winds push two lakes' water to east

[Steve Arend]

Powerful winds push two lakes' water to east

(February 18, 2006) — In a dramatic example of the power of Friday's windstorm, water levels rose 31/2 feet in a few hours at the Buffalo end of Lake Erie — and fell nearly that much at the lake's western end.

A similar, though less pronounced, change occurred in Lake Ontario.

The primary cause: sustained powerful winds from the west-southwest, which piled up the water at the lakes' eastern ends.

"Something on that magnitude happens once every three years or so," said National Weather Service forecaster Bob Hamilton. "On a lesser scale, it's maybe twice a winter."

Water levels at Erie's eastern end rose 3.6 feet from midnight to 7 a.m., when wind in the region reached its peak. Water levels are recorded by gauges maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which makes the data available online.

Powerful winds push two lakes' water to east