Lake Michigan Affects Temperature Field Across Lower Michigan! (credit: CIMSS)

DISCUSSION: As discussed in a recent post within our North America section, here is another very recent example which illustrates how cold air can impact parts of the contiguous United States or any place in the world at any point in time. As noted in the graphic above (courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)), you can note how as of this morning there was very cold air across much of Wisconsin and Minnesota. However, by looking just to the east of the "Land of a Thousand Lakes," you can denote the slightly warmer temperatures in place across much of lower Michigan. These slightly warmer temperatures across Lower Michigan are a direct consequence of the warmer waters of Lake Michigan which were positioned upwind (i.e., located just to the north of Lower Michigan). As north to northwesterly winds continued pushing the frigid air mass further south through the north-central United States, you can see how the frigid air mass was evidently modified as it moved across the warmer waters of Lake Michigan before traversing much of Lower Michigan and points even further south/southeast of this region.

To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across North America, be sure to click here!

©2016 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz