LAKE ERIE SHORE – The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather advisory Nov. 26 for a gale warning with high winds and a low water seiche for the western basin of Lake Erie that extended throguh Nov. 28.
While the advisory covered 23 counties, the local area affected included the shores of Ottawa, Sandusky, Lucas, Wood and Erie counties.
The Marblehead lighthouse is shown from about 50 feet into what would normally be Lake Erie waters. The water level was at least six feet low, thanks to a gale warning issued on Nov. 26 with nearshore nine-foot waves on Lake Erie combined with low water levels.
“Strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. Below-normal water levels will result in hazardous navigating conditions,” the NWS noted.
The advisory included southwest winds of 20-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph and waves up to nine feet.
During a seiche, the water in Lake Erie was pushed to the far eastern end, making extremely low water levels across Ottawa County and the Sandusky Bay. Water levels on Nov. 26 were at least six feet below average, with the shoreline exposed in places like Port Clinton for hundreds of feet out into Lake Erie.
Tommy Michnay, a fisherman from Port Clinton, was planning to use his metal detector to find fishing lures in the sands which were exposed almost to the end of the Portage River breakwater wall.
“It’s really cold out there, but there could be good stuff exposed,” Michnay said.
Wind chills were in the mid-teens, with temperatures around 35 degrees.
Cohen Royster, 16, of Port Clinton, was already scouring the exposed Port Clinton sands, but said that he hadn’t found anything good.
Wednesday afternoon, the Ohio Turnpike closed traffic to some large high-profile vehicles, and ferry schedules to the islands were canceled.
Cohen Royster, 16, of Port Clinton, was scouring the exposed Port Clinton sands with his metal detector. Gale warning issued Nov. 26 with nearshore nine-foot waves on Lake Erie combined with low water levels.
NWS noted “gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down, and a few power outages may result.”
419-332-2674
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Lake Erie gale warning and 9-foot waves combined with low water levels